Chronicles of Talia
by Cearbhail
Summary: Ok, just got Skyrim VR, and I can't wait. Wow, this is so realistic!
1. Another Opening

**Ceabhail** :

Ok, so, we're doing something a little different. It's been bouncing around inside my head, when all I want to do is finish Khajiit War Mage, Chronicles of Veselle, and the next chapter of Warlord, but... yeah... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"Who are you?"

Boy, that's a question I never thought I'd see in person. And man, Hadvar looked _good_. I mean, I knew virtual reality was stunning at times, and our technology was getting better by the minute, almost to the point where I'm seriously believing that I'm standing here in person, but… to actually look at his rising and falling chest, his eyes blinking as he shifts on his feet. To actually hear the dirt shift under his feet, as well as my own… man, our technology is amazing. Not to mention, the ability to see my own body, in all its black and purple scaly glory. And I have feathers. Best day ever.

All the same, playing an Argonian, I thought about being a traditionalist and selecting a name befitting an Argonian: She-Who-Pulls-Weight, or something like that. But I thought I'd just go with my name for once.

"Talia Cearbhail." I said with a grin. Of course, I'm just saying it to myself. I doubt the voice recognition is able to force an NPC to actually respond back.

"Talia, huh?" Hadvar said, shaking his head in disbelief. And that… that was convincing. Really convincing. I wonder if the game read the name on my character sheet or if it somehow translated my voice into NPC talk. "You look Argonian, but you talk Breton, and have a Breton name." Uh, it's Irish, douche, but I guess it's all the same, kind of. Actually, my last name is Irish, my first name is my father's version of fanboying at the thought of having a kick-ass martial artist girl in the family. Yes, I'm named after Talia al Ghul, the assassin from Batman. Man, for him to even ask that question, I have to give it to the mods for this one.

Hadvar glanced from me over to the douchey Imperial woman, who always crosses her arms. "Ma'am, what do we do? She's not on the list."

And just like always, she smirks and will point to the line of Stormcloaks. And she'll say, "I don't know, we didn't plan on this." Huh… no.

"You're supposed to say, 'this one goes to the blocks.'" I think aloud, which causes both Hadvar and the woman to look at me.

"You wish to go to the chopping blocks?" The Imperial woman said bemusedly. She looked over to Hadvar, looking him over. "Is she a Stormcloak sympathizer?"

Hadvar glanced at me. "Well, are you?"

When I downloaded the 'new beginning', I wasn't expecting this. I just wanted Alduin to show up so I can see Randy Savage blow smoke over everyone. Nah, I'm kidding… I went with Thomas the Tank Engine. But they were asking me a philosophical question, one I was forced to answer with my brother a few years ago. My mind hasn't changed. "Well, since I love playing Dark Elves and Argonians, you'd be surprised to find out that, no… I don't sympathize. I don't worship Talos, per se, but… I do get the whole, fight for your honor thing, like my brother. I mean, I am a martial artist just like him, but I never took it to bushido. I'm more of a ninja, kind of."

The two NPCs just glanced at each other, and I started to think that my fourth wall breaking was breaking the game. Might as well just play the character. "No, I do not support the Stormcloaks."

Hadvar nodded. "Well, Captain, I do not see a reason to put her to the chopping blocks."

She nodded. "Keep her guarded. When we execute the Stormcloaks, we'll ship her to Solitude for processing." Processing, why? What mod was that under? Maybe the _New Life_ mod I installed?

Hadvar grabbed me by my arm and started pulling me beside him, and… I felt it. I don't mean I felt a small tingling in my arm where the VR headset vibrates a small signal to my body letting me know I'm in contact with something, I mean… actually touching me. I can feel his rough callused hands on my arm, which feels scaly and oily against his. It's at this point that I'm starting to wonder if I should unplug, throw the game in the corner, and just forget this ever happened. Go back to working on my fanfictions and just pretend this episode of my life never really began. Not that I ever wanted the other life to begin either. I just kind of picked it up when my brother finished the _Khajiit Battlemage_.

"Just stay next to me prisoner, if you want to stay alive, that is." He said with a small grin on his face, like he meant it as a joke. Man… I guess they had to fit in the dialogue somewhere. I wonder, if I said I support the Stormcloaks, would it have begun with the standard opening? This is weird. Maybe I should go back, and select a different option. I can always do that later though.

I turned my attention back to the soldiers lining up for the chopping block. "On this day, I go to Sovngarde." Say 'hi' to my brother for me. I turned my head away as the axe came down. I heard enough to make me gag in the back of my throat.

"Not much of a warrior, are you?" Hadvar asked from beside me.

I shook my head. "Nope. I know some martial arts, but I've never had to use it for a real fight." Huh… why did I decide to do this anyway? I guess my friends were bragging about the Skyrim VR experience, and I wanted to try it out myself. See why they like it so much. I'm pretty convinced by it, so far. Everything seems real, down to the chill I'm getting on my bare arms. I can feel the holes in my pants too, as well as the tail sprouting out of my butt, which is weird because I'm able to make it flick with a single thought. Gods below… this is intense. Maybe I should have chosen to play a Dark Elf after all. Feeling my pointy ears would have been a highlight of my life. But having scales and a tail is nice too. Might try out the waterbreathing function later. I wonder if I'll actually feel cold and wet. That's something to consider. It would be weird if I actually got wet in real life too, so I should be careful I use the bathroom before going into any wet areas. And knowing Skyrim as well as I do… there are a lot of wet areas.

"Up next, Ralof." The Captain pointed to Ralof, the only Stormcloak I kind of appreciate. He's not a total racist asshole. No matter which race you play as, he just likes you. I almost played a Dark Elf and supported the Stormcloaks just to make him value the lives of elves, but seeing how his nature as an NPC doesn't really change, it would all just be head-canon. I went with Argonian because I wanted to play the closest thing to a dragon I could play as, and I have an obsession with dragons. And the colors: black, purple, gray, and white. So, my Argonian is Black and gray scaled with purple facial areas, as well as some purple underbelly and arms, as well as neck. Man, mods these days. And I can see it, with my own lizard eyes. My scales are perfectly represented as I moved my arms around. Too bad I'm stuck in first person; I can't figure out how to exit out to third person. I think I'm stuck like this until Hadvar or Ralof cut off my binds. Then I can see myself in third person, maybe. That might be too disorienting, and it kind of defeats the purpose of VR in the first place.

Ralof started walking up to the chopping block. "On this day, I go to Sovngarde." And I looked up in the sky. Wondering when it would begin. And I heard it, like an echo on the wind. I wonder if Recorder is somewhere up in that tower, listening to the same sound as I was.

"Did you hear that?" Hadvar asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's a dragon." I said with a hidden laugh. I was so excited. Ok, I didn't put Thomas the Tank Engine in my mod list, but I did make Alduin pretty beefed up. Twice as big, Shouts loud as possible. This should be epic. He should seem like a real threat now.

Hadvar glanced at me, as if I just told a joke. "A dragon? Ah, to see such a fine creature. Surely, it would be a miracle." Nope. Try the destruction of the whole world if this game ever had a sense of urgency. Too bad it felt too… unnecessary. I mean, yeah, Alduin: big bad guy who will destroy the whole world. But I could just as easily ignore him and the game would never get worse while Alduin claimed soul after soul, burning town after town. Zombie mods are better at that. And I have one installed.

"Never mind the sound, let's get back to severing Ralof's head from his body." The Captain said as she looked over to the headsman.

"On your orders." The headsman said as he raised his cleaver up. Huh… is the game really going to let Ralof's character die off? I mean, I did say I don't support them, which means I pretty much threw myself over to the Imperials. That would mean I wouldn't be joining the Stormcloaks, but all the same… I could change my mind, or just be lying. This can't be real.

"It's up in the sky!" Someone screamed.

And I looked up, and there he was… a big as a town, and slowly soaring down to the city. Alduin: the World Eater. He actually looks like a world eater now.

"Dragon!" The Stormcloak woman screamed. Alduin came crashing down on top of that one tower so hard that it started cracking and breaking as he landed on it. And wow… talk about dramatic atmosphere. I could sense his power from where I was standing. And the way he was looking down at us all… that's amazing. I was legitimately ready to pee myself.

And right as the headsman looked up at Alduin, the dragon opened his mouth, and Shouted. I felt the force of his voice slam into me, hard enough that I was thrown off my feet and onto my butt. And… I felt that. I mean… really felt that. My back was hurting. My tail was hurting too. Real pain. Not some vibrational fake pain. Real pain. What's going on?

There was another Shout, one that echoed up to the sky, and the sky began to darken. The sky turned red and violent as a tempest started to grow, swirling in the daylight sky. "And this is where it begins to rain meteorites at us." I mused to myself, half convinced that I was really in the game. The pain in my body seemed too real to me. And I wasn't ready to feel flaming exploding rocks the size of me falling down on top of me.

Hadvar glanced at me. "Are you a seeress?" He reached for my arms, looking me in the eye. "You knew about the dragon, and now… you know how it will attack?"

I nodded. "Sure… let's go with Seeress." Man, I have a headset on, but I never thought I'd be able to talk to NPCs like this. This is getting too real. The feeling in my arms is real; he's really holding me tightly. And I can feel the turbulent air. That's it… I need to pull this headset off. I'm getting too worked up. This is too much stimulus.

I reached up for my head, trying to feel for the headset, and all I felt were earholes, which I could hear and feel my scaly fingers inside my ear, and the lilac feather I had attached to my head, as well as the small horns and bumps. But… no headset. Nothing. And I tried grabbing where it should have been, feeling nothing, and pulled it straight up. But… nothing happened. I was still in the game.

Hadvar was glancing up at me. "Oh, let me cut your binds." He reached out with a knife and cut the binds on my hands, letting them get free. I tried to access the menu. "B button." Nothing happened. "Start Button. Cortana, shut off Xbox!" Nothing happened.

Hadvar looked at me like I was crazy. "Who's Cortana? What's Xbox?"

Oh no… please no. This has to be a joke. I did not just insert myself into Skyrim, for real. I mean… how is that even possible?

"Look out!" Hadvar started to shove me out of the way, and I looked up, right as a giant sheet of rock was falling down right on top of me. Shab. How did I even get here?

…

I remember setting the VR on my head as I loaded in my new character. I was using the one mod that always started out in a cell room, and there's this statue of Mara. So, first I scrolled through the various races. Khajiit… nah. My brother always played Khajiits and Bretons. Once he even played an Orc saying that he was going to recreate the Mandalorians by building an Orc Settlement based on one of the mods.

So, I didn't want to play a Khajiit. I scrolled down to a Dark Elf. Hmm… that was my favorite race, ever since Morrowind. It would be interesting to play with the Stormcloaks as a Dark Elf, but… I always play Dark Elves. Not to mention, I've been kind of on this dragon obsession for a while now, and I want to satisfy that need to be one. So… Argonian this time. I'll just make her black-scaled with purple. My favorite combination. Maybe I'll call her Raven, or Morrigan. Nah, too obvious.

After spending a few minutes setting her up, I came to the last thing. Her name. What to call her? What kind of class was she even going to be anyway? Brother installed that Way of the Monk mod, and those items are all throughout the game. I could always play a monk druid thingy. But that doesn't help me choose a name, except for Morrigan or Raven. Both of those people don't do much physical combat though. But… I do. Why not? It would help me feel like an actual Argonian. Just plug my name into it and BAM! Instant gratification.

 _Talia Cearbhail_. Ok, Cearbhail wasn't actually my last name, but it's very close to me. Very personal. Someone should honor it these days. I should write more too. Eh, once I'm done with his gaming binge I'll work on something.

Once I hit enter, I felt like I was in control of her. I walked her over to the scrolls, collecting all three of them, opening them up so that she had the ability to learn the contents in them. All the Monk items were collected, and I even chose my spell list: Shock, Oakflesh, Fury, Healing, and Conjure Familiar. There we go, the basic spells are done. All that's left is to approach the Mara statue and select my new life.

I walked her over to the statue and selected it. _Welcome, child. Please select your new life._

This was always where I had the hardest decision. I kind of wanted to watch the beginning of the game in VR. Experience it in all its glory. But… I've gone through that beginning so many times I just usually run downstairs and make a sandwich while it's playing. Alduin can't even kill you until you get past the ruined inn, so it wasn't like my character was in any real danger.

I shrugged as I scrolled down to the bottom. Where there was usually the 'surprise me' option, there was a new one. 'Create one'. Create one? That's new. Must be an update.

I clicked that button, and that's when I heard it… Mom's voice. She appeared from the statue, sticking out her hand for me. I was so stunned that Mom was appearing in the statue of Mara that… well… I just couldn't believe. She placed her hand on my character and that's when I felt it… I felt it for the first time. I felt like I was inside my character. "Be well, honey." Mom said as she kissed me on the forehead.

I was still shocked that Mom was even here. I didn't have time to process it though. She was already vanishing inside the statue. And that's when I felt the world around me start to break apart. No! I wasn't ready yet! I needed more time. I needed to talk to her.

...

I slowly started opening my eyes. My head was throbbing; my vision blurred. My hands felt weak. But I felt this warm presence in my body. "Sir, she's waking up." I heard Ralof's voice, muffled in my ears.

"Good. Take her and run for it!" Jarl Stormcloak screamed to Ralof. "We need to move, now!" He waved to Ralof. "Get her out of here, and protect her with your life. I hear she's a seeress."

Ralof scooped me up into his arms, nodding to me. "And so we meet again. What was your name again?"

I almost grinned, but I think my head was still spinning. "Talia."

"As in tail? You Argonians aren't very creative." Ralof grunted as he shifted me in his arms.

I almost chuckled as Ralof started carrying me up the staircase. "It's no worse than Talizza." I mused. My character in ESO. I can't believe someone actually used my name. I should have just thrown my last name up there, but that's too much for a character, I think.

Just watching Ralof carry me, and feeling his sleeved arms rubbing against my scales reminded me that I'm… I'm in the video game. Like really in it. This is some Gwenpool osik right here. But, I guess it's possible. I remember seeing Mom, and she's been dead for years. And she managed to make this a reality. But… why? Why do this to me? I haven't seen her since I was eleven.

I guess this is real then. I've played this game before, so… I know how to stay alive. Stay away from anything evil. But… zombie mod. Fierfek. That's not good. And I selected Patient Zero. That means… one person in this country is carrying the disease. If I can find that one person and kill them before they spread the virus, the better off we'll be. But… at this very second, they're probably already infecting someone. It's probably already too late. Soon, Whiterun, or Windhelm, or wherever they might be (might even be a random cave or castle), will be overrun with zombies. And they'll be programmed to find me, try to turn me too. And it's totally possible too. I've seen it with playthroughs. Jeez, why couldn't have I been sucked into some other game like Stardew Valley or Pokemon?

I sighed as I looked up at Ralof. "I'm ready to walk now."

He nodded, lowering me down. "I'm glad to hear it, Talia. So, is it true then? Are you a seeress?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. I know what's going on, and mostly… what will happen next."

He crossed his arms. "Prove it."

We were almost up the base of the tower. Up next was Alduin's grand entrance. Where he punches in a section of the tower and breathes fire onto an unsuspecting NPC Stormcloak. Well, this is real life now. Let's change some things.

I pointed up at the wall where Alduin comes through. "The dragon, Alduin, will appear in that wall, busting it down and killing the Stormcloak. There is no way we can help him."

Ralof grunted. "We'll see about that." As he charged up, I followed behind me, yes… way behind him. "Come up, let's hurry."

"We just need to clear some of this rubble…." I heard the generic Stormcloak say as he shifted rocks around.

And that's when the wall exploded, and Alduin threw his head in, launching a wave of fire into the room. I quickly grabbed Ralof by the scruff of his neck and hauled him down the stairs with me as the hallway quickly filled in with more smoke and fire than the game ever animated. Jeez, real life is scary when dragons are involved. I wonder what Fire Breath is going to be like. Oh wait… that means I'd be throwing myself into a crypt of zombies. Yuck. I hate zombies. I mean really fear zombies. It's something my brother and I had in common.

After we cleared the fire and smoke, Ralof was breathless, staring at the charred walls. "That was too close." He looked over to me. "So, it's true. You're a seeress."

I nodded. "Yup. And here's how we're getting out of here. In the bottom of the garrison hold is an old tunnel that leads out to the mountainside. The dragon won't follow us, and we'll safely get away." As long as this is like the game anyway. But hey… I'm Dragonborn. I'm totally going to save this world. And if I beat the game, maybe I'll get to go back home, like in Jumanji. So, my end goal is to go to Sovngarde, find and eliminate Alduin, and then see if I can go back home. If not, then… well… I guess I use my status as Dragonborn to live up the royalties, perhaps live with the Blades in their fortress. I should start thinking of the three people I can recruit to become Blades, if I'm even limited to just three. I mean… this is real life. I should be able to recruit my own army. In fact, I think I just might.

Ralof nodded. "That sounds like a plan. Should we head down to gather the others?"

I shook my head. I looked at the opening. "Not yet. You should do whatever you feel is right, but I need to jump through that massive hole, fall into the inn on the other side, do a sick combat roll, recover, and then sprint over to Hadvar, who will be trying to convince a small boy saying his final farewells to his father who will be burned to death by Alduin. And it will be a bittersweet moment. And then, Hadvar will tell me to stay close to him, and then we'll navigate through the town, dodging Aldiun as he slowly picks off the Imperial Legion, all while General Tullius is screaming at me, calling me an idiot, and then we'll finally arrive at the fort, where we'll bump into you, and then the two of you will come to friendly terms, each of you heading to a separate door, and try to convince me to pick one over the other."

I'm so not doing that, though. "But… that's how the game plays out. This is real life; you're a fucking adult." I jabbed my finger into Ralof's chest. "And this is some real shit we're in, so the two of you are going to pull up your pants, and stop wagging your dicks at each other, trying to figure out which one's is longer."

That visual I implanted into Ralof's head made him blush over. Ha! I knew it, they're in love. Head-canon: confirmed.

I continued jabbing my finger at him, actually pushing him back. "And so, I'm going to find Hadvar, and I'm going to give him the same speech, and when the two of you meet, you're going to put this whole war behind you, and we're going to work together. Got it?"

Ralof cocked his head to the side. "Why does this matter to you?"

"Because… Skyrim is better than this. Sure, fighting in a war was fun for the first few campaigns. Even with some mods, it became better. But still… the two armies fighting each other when there's so much more going on around it… is absurd. I mean, I get it. Your god is being slapped around by some elves, and you can't even legally worship Talos without a noose around your neck, and being Pagan… I totally understand that. I do. Your god won't forget you, if you don't forget Him, and I'm sure he understands. We both serve a god of war. For me… it's the Morrigan. For you, it's Talos. So, I get it. You want to defend His honor, but killing His people to do it… I don't know. And doing this while dragons are destroying everything, it seems like you're missing the point. Skyrim needs to unify, not… not this. Not war."

Ralof's eyes hardened, and I honestly forgot that I was an Argonian, just a walking lizard to him. And Argonians are treated like crap in Windhelm, even worse than Dark Elves. The only thing keeping me alive right now was that I was a 'seeress'. Gods, why didn't I pick a Nord or something? And normally, I'd be just as tall as him, but I had that 'lore scale heights' installed, and I was only coming up to his chest. Man, he's tall.

I tried to puff out my chest and stare him down. It's just like handling my brother. I just have to puff out my chest a bit and remind him that I can still take him to the ground if I needed to. "I have the high ground, Anakin." I muttered as I looked at Ralof. Not to mention my Shocks spell, a Familiar, oh… and I'm a Monk class. I could probably punch a hole in his chest and pull out his heart.

Ralof's gaze finally drifted down. "I cannot abandon Talos, nor can I abandon my people. Surely, you understand the pain of finding your friends missing one morning, after hearing that they uttered a prayer. And then you see the flapping black leather jackets, and suddenly… Josh is missing. No one knows where he ended up, or if he'll return, but you know… you know…" He shook his head. "To live in constant fear of an elf coming to claim your child for praising the wrong god… when no god should ever be wrong to worship."

I redoubled my crossed arms, to double my emphasis. "So, if I said, all hail Mehrunes Dagon, you'd be cool with that?"

He looked shocked at the proposal. "The God of Destruction? Why would you worship him?"

I shook my head. "Talos is a god of destruction, to the elves, anyway. A god that represents the countless elves that died in his quest to populate the world with humans. So, to them, he is Mehrunes Dagon, just another version of the same corruption in the world. True, I agree with the Nords on this issue. I think it's wrong that they silence your ability to worship your god, and to fight a fucking war just to make it happen, it's wrong. But there's a difference between fighting for the right to worship your god, and just to legally be an asshole to anyone not your race. And I've been running around this country for long enough to know that most people waving your flag are racist against elves that aren't even in the Aldmeri Dominion, not to mention Argonians, Orcs. And don't even get me started on The Snow Elves, you know… the ones your Ysgramor slaughtered to start with."

Ralof shook his head. "You need to freshen up on your history, seeress. Ysgramor came peacefully to this land. It was the elves that acted first, and he retreated and rounded up the rest of the Atmorans, and then he returned to pay the elves back for what they did to him and his family. You see, the elves were always vile and treacherous, and we should have been paying attention to history. And so… we'll set things right."

"By starting the cycle all over again?" I said with a laugh. "This is where Jarl Ulfric plays the part of Ysgramor, and gathers up his 500 Companions: his Stormcloaks, and then cleaves a bloody path through Skyrim until he forces every Jarl to bend knee to him? And then what? Just invade all of Cyrodiil, destroy the whole Empire, as well as the Dominion? You really think this is what Talos wants? His loyal people dying in a war that will probably resume 200 years from now when some other idiot decides they want 30 years of looking down their noses at someone else? Another Jagar Tharn or something?"

Ralof just stood there. "You speak wise words, if not misguided and naïve, seeress." He turned around. "I will go tend to my Lord: Ulfric. You go jump through your hole and pray you survive. I know I will be praying." He glanced up at me. "Alduin, you say… you, seeress, will play a big part to be here, at the right time, at the right place."

"Or, I have placed myself here to see that history goes where I want it to go." Suck on that, Ralof. You grungy, not as cute as Hadvar, quasi-racist extremist.

Ralof nodded. "I hope you are here to help. I really do." He turned on his heel. "I will see to Jarl Ulfric."

I nodded as Ralof took off down the stairs. "Trust me, Ralof… I'm the only good guy in this whole campaign." Well, except for Recorder, Inigo, Lydia. Pretty much every companion I can think of recruiting. And with Hearthfire, I will build myself a home, oh wait… that won't be a 'gather and then it just appears' thing… will it? I sure hope I don't have to do it from scratch. I'm not a carpenter. Eh, I'll get Lydia to do it. Or just live in Whiterun.

I ran back up the staircase, coming up to the massive hole. The hole was much larger than I remember it being in the actual game. Just to test my theory, I set my hand on the glowing stonework. My hand was instantly burning like I would expect if I were to touch a hot pan. Yup… it's real. I looked at my hand, seeing my scales slightly charred and melted together. Yup. I'm real. This is my body now. I wonder if I shed? Can I dislocate my tail and grow a new one? Hmm… questions for later.

I looked out the hole to the busted inn on the other side. It's on fire, but there's one obvious landing spot. Ok, Talia. You only live once… or in your case… twice. Huh… if I get a game over, will I just revert to a previous save file? That's a theory I never want to test or verify.

Ok, Talia. I'm just going to take a step back and leap for it. What's the worst that can happen?

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

So... introductions, I guess, are finally in order. Um... hi. See you next chapter, if I even survive.


	2. Walking sucks

**Ceabhail** :

Chapter 1 went over pretty well, i'd say. So... i guess I'm in the clear. Onward!

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

Do you ever wonder if you could go back in time and pause at the very moment you knew you fucked up? Well, if I had to sum up the exact second I fucked up, it would be the very second I jumped out of the tower and freefell to the burning inn on the other side. You see… it's not the moment I put on the headset; it's not the moment I insulted Ralof to his face; and it's not the moment I punched Dad in the face and told him I never wanted to see him ever again. It was the moment I jumped out of the burning tower, freefalling two stories into a burning building. And the reason why… because I forgot I'm scared of heights.

"Oh, shit, fucking shit!" I screamed as the wind pulled up on me and my stomach ended up in my throat as I fell to the ground. I've never jumped from something this high up before, and especially not into something as lethal as a burning building. As I fell do the building underneath me, I closed my eyes and screamed, "Maximum effort!" As if that would somehow make this easier for me to deal with.

I crashed into something, something stuffed with cotton and hay, but it hit with so much force that I felt my leg snap as I landed on top of it. Blinding white pain flashed through me as I rolled through the mattress of the inn's surviving bed, landing on my back with my left leg feeling like I shattered it. When I looked down at my leg, it was bent awkwardly. Well… that's not a game mechanic. At least, not in Elder Scrolls. I'm not secretly in Fallout, right? Oh gods… I would hate that so much.

So, here I was, lying flat on my back, my left leg broken, and I was in too much pain to move while the building around me was burning its way to the ground. This was not like the video game at all. But still, I had to get moving, or I was going to die in the tutorial stage of the game. Talk about embarrassing for a veteran player of the game.

I screamed as I started propping myself onto my elbows as I started pushing myself backwards, using my elbows to walk myself away from the burning side of the inn, trying my best to make it over to the staircase. I wish I could stand up, but my leg was broken, no doubt about it. And it's not like I can just set it back in its spot and then magically fix it. Wait… Talia… you're forgetting something. One: you have spells. You know Healing. Two: you have Histskin. Ok, so… I have the tools, but… how? It's not like I can just select my spells and activate them. I mean… I can't even open up my menu. What good were spells right now?

I sighed as I dropped my head onto the wooden floor. The fire was spreading across the inn, and I couldn't crawl fast enough to get away. There was a fast way down to the ground floor though, but I'm not sure I want to take it. There's a hole in the floor to my right, and if I dive through it, I'll end up on the ground floor. From there, I just have to limp to Hadvar, and I'm sure he'll carry me all the way to Riverwood, if I asked him. I was hoping to get done with the first quest before the end of the day, and by first quest, I mean going straight up to Bleak Falls Barrow, grab that golden claw, go back to Riverwood, turn the claw over, and then head over to Whiterun to talk to the Jarl and hand over the Dragonstone. Maybe take the passage through that mountain pass where the random necromancer has made his home, kill him, take his enchanted knife, learn how to do enchantment, and then… I don't know… hopefully finally figure out spells.

Sigh…

It sounds so easy when it's just a video game, but now it's real. Magick… real. And not the magick I do when I light candles during full moons. Not the magick I do when I cup my hands around a piece of paper and launch a ki blast at it. Something more tangible… or is it? What if it's the same? The Histskin… how would that work? If I had to imagine, I would guess it would be second nature, like breathing, or at least blood clotting. A bodily function. So, what if Histskin is already doing its job? What if Argonians just heal faster? Or… what if I need to drink Hist sap for it to work? So many questions, not enough time to experiment. Oh well then… I guess Plan A.

I rolled over to the hole in the floor. I could already see the ground floor welcoming me. Oh well… here I come. Kandosii'la.

I grunted as I pulled myself through the hole, freefalling once again, but this time landing more heavily on my collarbone, and not on a soft bed this time. I was in so much pain, I screamed out in agony/blind pain as I impacted on the floor.

"Did you hear that?" Hadvar said as he rushed to the doorway. "Seeress!" He charged into the burning building. "Don't worry, I got you." He reached down, wrapping his arms around me as he started dragging me out of the building. The second floor was just beginning to collapse onto the ground floor, the fire spreading even further. Well, it's not a game over, not yet anyway. Survival mode has nothing on this.

As soon as we were clear of the burning building, Hadvar set me down, looking me over. "Are you hurt?" He asked while glancing at my awkwardly bent left leg.

"Oh, no. My leg just does that from time to time whenever I freefall from two-story towers." I said through grit teeth. "And I'm having some trouble remembering how to do my Healing spell. Or my Histskin."

Hadvar scratched at his head. "Um… you just focus your spell energy on your wound and then… I don't know… it just sort of… works. Histskin though… I don't know how that works. Argonians are pretty hush-hush about it." Of course they are. Too bad I can't just use Shadow like Pra'ja or something.

"Well, I really don't want to fix my own leg, so… can you, and I can't believe I'm suggesting this, can you grab my leg and reset it?" I was already reaching for whatever I could grip. I need something to chomp down on to.

Hadvar shrugged as he reached for my leg. "Ok, then. Just… give me a second to mentally prepare myself."

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" I could barely finish my thought as he snapped my leg back into its spot, and I felt a hot flash of pain wash over me, so much that I growled out a whole legion of Mandalorian slurs at him, maybe even threw a few waves of lightning at him. Yeah, when he snapped my leg back together, I snapped my fingers out, and lightning flashed out of my fingers, smashing Hadvar in his face. Well… that was cool. Felt natural too, like doing a ki blast on a piece of paper. Which made me realize that… yeah, spells are intuitive. I didn't even have to focus that hard on them. Once I had that figured out, I sat up and cupped my hands over my leg. "Ok, I'm going to try Healing now."

"You certainly have Shock figured out." Hadvar's face deadpanned after I hit him hard enough to paralyze his facial muscles. I certainly hope he gets his nerves back. Haha.

I closed my eyes and did with my Healing spell that I did with my ki healing training back when I was in high school. Should be more or less the same thing. I just hope I don't have to do any form of pressure point dim mok stuff to make this work. I mean… I know some basic stuff, but I'm not the healer my brother was. Ki was his thing, I just kind of picked it up from him. Jeez, how many times do I begin my stuff with him having already done it. I think the only thing I did first was Kendo, while he focused on tae kwon do. Speaking of which, I would feel a lot safer if I got my hands on a sword of some kind.

I slowly started to feel the warm pressure starting to cover my body, one that felt a little familiar. Wait… Ralof was standing over me when I felt this. Did… did he heal me? Or… oh great Morrigan… did I wake up because my Histskin already saved my life? I bet that's exactly what happened. That meteorite had me dead to rites… and then I just wake up feeling completely warm and fuzzy? Yeah, that's the same feeling, only this is isolated to my broken leg. So… my Histskin won't work again for a full day… or until I drink Hist? Or… does it even have a cool down? I don't know how things work here in real Skyrim.

I must be feeling pretty good if I'm able to think about the cooldown system located inside my body. My leg was feeling less painful, but… that doesn't mean it's fixed. That just means I might have a placebo effect going on inside me right now. I might just stand up and then… snap, right back to where I started. And while I sat here, healing my leg, Alduin was flying overhead, crashing into a nearby tower, plucking an Imperial off his feet, and carrying him up into the sky where he took a bite out of him, ripping the Imperial in half. That was gruesome. And kind of awesome.

Hadvar was leaning over me, lifting a shield over my head as it rained red blood down all around us. "Hurry up!" Hadvar said as a pair of legs was dropped on top of us, which Hadvar tossed to the side. The giant rope of intestines falling down around us was not comforting though.

I groaned as I looked up at him. "Hey! I've never worked magick on this scale before. Hehe… scales." I shook the thought from my head, trying my best to be serious. "What I mean is that… I'm new to healing. So… I don't know when my broken leg will be fixed. Now… there is an obvious solution that I think we haven't considered. I could focus on healing my leg while you wrap me up in your arms and carry me to the garrison fort."

Hadvar only nodded as he lifted me into his arms. "You know… you're surprisingly light."

I shrugged. "It's my ego, it's like a balloon." I pointed to the ruined building just ahead of us. "Now, onward, Samwise! You cannot carry my burden, but you can carry me!" I hugged Hadvar close to me.

Hadvar only rolled his eyes, clearly not getting the joke. And I'm ok with that. If I have to explain it though, it's going to take me a long time.

Hadvar took off in a small jog, but I directed him back by punching him. "No, stop. Go behind the building. The dragon is about to land and kill Torolf by breathing fire down on top of him."

"We should save him!" Hadvar sounded alarmed. And he quickly tossed me on my shebs, racing over to Torolf. "I'm coming, Torolf."

"Dad… I'm scared." The tiny kid leaned over his father, whose leg was shattered just as badly as mine. A piece of a wall had fallen down on top of him, crippling him, it seems.

"Little cub, you will be fine. Just… be strong. Be the bear you're meant to be." Torolf said, grabbing onto his son and pulling him close. "Now… it's time for you to be a man. Go!" He shoved the boy away from him.

"No…" The boy shook his head.

"Watch out!" I screamed, looking up at the sky as Alduin freefell down right behind Torolf. Hadvar just had enough time to scoop the boy in his arms, bringing his shield in front of him. Alduin took a deep breath and breathed out a torrent of fire that I honestly could feel from where I was sitting now. Hadvar was proudly hiding behind his wooden shield, protecting the boy as the fire almost enveloped them. When the fire cleared, Torolf was nothing more than a charred corpse. Alduin flapped back into the sky, taking off without even considering eating Hadvar or the boy. Well, somethings just like the game don't change. I wonder… am I able to leave Skyrim? Or will there be an invisible barrier? Will I be able to see any Argonian children? I have Ram-ku downloaded. Which… is the same name of a shadowscale in _Rogue Shadowscale_. Coincidence? Maybe.

When the fire cleared, Hadvar slowly lowered his shield, still shaking in his boots. He glanced over to me, wide-eyed. "You really are a seeress. We can't change the outcome, can we?"

I shrugged. "If we can, that would be great. If not, well… at least we'll try. But… we _can_ escape. I struggled to pick myself up by holding my arms out like a toddler wanting to be carried by my parent. When Hadvar walked over to me, picking me up again, he looked me in the eye.

"Ok, so… how?"

Ok, Talia. Be gentle this time. Don't get all angry like you did with Ralof. Remember… Hadvar is not racist, and he's an Imperial. He's your favorite. "We can get out of this situation by grouping up with Ralof and venturing down into the garrison fort. There's an old cave system under the keep, and the cave travels far enough away from Helgen that we can escape without the dragon noticing."

He looked slightly offended at what I just said. "What? Why do we need Ralof?"

I poked Hadvar in the arm. "Because the Seeress says so. This here, this dragon god… yeah, it's a god, by the way, is more than the Stormcloaks or the Imperial army can face. So, the two armies need to put their dicks away long enough that we can survive dragons invading the towns. We need Stormcloaks defending their borders and Imperials defending theirs. We can't have proper defenses when everyone's marching around looking for someone to kill." I poked Hadvar in the arm again, not to make a point, but… man, he's almost a bulky as Ralof. I wonder if I poke him under his ribcage… will I get a squeal out of him like I do George? Hehe… that might be a fun experiment.

"Are you going to keep poking me, or are you going to focus on healing your leg?" Hadvar glanced down at me.

Huh? Healing? What healing? Oh… right, my leg might still be broken. I smirked as I turned my attention back to my "broken" leg, feeding more Restoration magick into it. This was good practice anyway. And it's true, I don't know if my leg is properly healed yet or not. I don't think I'm good enough in Restoration to determine if my leg is healed or not. I might just take two spears and make myself a splint. Just to take some pressure off my leg while we're doing our thing.

"Think we have time to make a splint for my leg?" I said, looking up at Hadvar.

He nodded. "Once we're inside the keep and out of immediate danger, sure, why not."

He started carrying me through the streets, coming up along the wall that Alduin perches on.

"Keep close to the wall!" I scream, and Hadvar instantly threw himself onto the wall, just in time for Alduin to land right where he was supposed to. An Imperial archer who was unfortunate stood there as Alduin breathed fire down on top of him. I could feel the heat from where I was standing. As soon as Alduin finished his Thu'um, he took off like a bat out of hell.

"I think I pissed myself." Hadvar replied to me, breathless.

"That makes three for me then." I replied back with a breathless laugh. I returned my focus back to my healing. "Just keep heading to the fort. Alduin will be too busy killing the other Imperials. And no matter what you do, don't just stand around like an idiot. General Tullius will make it out alive with some legionaries, but… only if we don't stand around like idiots and watch the dragon kill everyone. Got it?"

Hadvar nodded. "Yeah, I think I understand." He pushed us forward, ducking and weaving through the crushed building, jumping over rubble and barely scraping us by the burned wooden support structure. And once we cleared it, we arrived to the biggest battle I was sure that I going to see over and over again. Imperials were everywhere, civilians screaming as they ran in circles. In the middle was Alexander the Great… I mean, General Tullius. He was shouting orders at the battlemages, who I wanted to sit down with, have a cup of tea, and discuss how I can become a badass with magick like them. Hopefully, I can find out to sit down with.

General Tullius looked at Hadvar, nodding to him. "Into the keep, soldier. We're leaving!"

Hadvar glanced at me, and I smirked like I called it. I'm just becoming quite the prophet to him, aren't I.

I leaned forward, whispering to him. "We're going to make a cute couple, you and me." His face blushed over, and I laughed as I looked away. "Ha, never happening. My heart's already taken." If I say, Ralof, I wonder if I can trigger a love scene between the two men. I'm almost certain that it will work.

I pointed through the gateway, to the keep. "Ok, on we go. And don't forget, Ralof is not your enemy today."

Hadvar still looked concerned, if not unbelieving, but he nodded. "If you say so."

"I already had a chat with him. He knows to be on his best behavior." I replied. "Now, let's continue forward. I'll try to focus on making sure my leg is good to go." And while Hadvar raced on through the gateway, I watched as Alduin soared into position for my favorite scene. He plunged from the sky, grabbing an Imperial archer, and picking him up into the sky, squeezing the life out of his body, and then letting the body fall into a group of Imperial soldiers, killing them with their own friend's body. Man… that sounds kind of dark now that I think of it, and to watch it happen in real life… I think I should be more scared. I mean… I could literally die here. Or from sitting in my chair for too long and gathering blood clots. Hmmm… I think I'm actually better off in this world.

It's really too bad that there isn't any background music to keep me enthralled. And honestly, that should have been my first hint that I wasn't in a video game anymore. No background music. And I don't have my iPod either. Shit. And last I checked, the songs in this game were lame. Not like in Inquisition. I guess I'll be the first to sing about shadows falling. Maybe I'll sing it when I meet the leader of the Dawnguard. Because… you know… the dawn will come.

I turned my focus back to healing my leg, humming the Dawn Will Come in the back of my head. This song was still giving me hope, even right now as I ran magick into my leg. I could actually feel the draw from my inner reserves. I wonder how Stamina works in this world, or health for that matter. Will I survive taking an arrow to the chest? Or will I just die like in real life? Another thing I don't really want to test out. Well, I did just watch a soldier get squeezed to death, and another one was ripped in half by a dragon so… definitely not video game logic. So… death by arrow. Great…

I suck at dodging… at least in video games. Almost as much in real life.

The feeling in my leg was growing more and more tolerable by the second. Great, I think it's working. Now, the inside of my leg is just itching a lot. So… healing. Good.

Hadvar came to a sudden halt as Ralof showed up out of nowhere. And the two of them just stood there, looking at each other. I could hurry this along, but these two need this moment. I'll just focus on healing my leg. Should be good as new shortly.

"Ralof… you traitor." Hadvar tried to sound more civil than he clearly felt.

Ralof glanced at me, pointing at me as well. "We're escaping, Hadvar. You won't stop us this time."

Hadvar grunted a small laugh. "Won't? What makes you think I'll let you just leave?"

Ralof nodded to me. "Did the seeress not tell you? We're to work together."

I nodded. "Or both of you will ultimately die." I replied back. That's a lie, but… whatever. "The war will rage on, and the dragons will win. The Empire will fall to Alduin the World Eater, and the Stormcloaks will die when their leader, Ulfric Stormcloak, is burned alive in his town of Windhelm. What we need is to work together, put this war of yours on hold, and defeats the dragons. And then… when Alduin is gone, and the dragon uprising is dealt with, then you will have the ability to return to killing each other for a senseless cause." All are lies… maybe. Who knows, I might just be a seeress after all, and I'm secretly speaking the truth. Unbeknownst to even me.

Ralof and Hadvar were both looking down at me, and then up at each other. "I suppose, we don't have much choice." Hadvar sounded despondent.

Ralof nodded. "I do not like this either, brother." I did a spit-take. Brother?

I glanced at the two men. Ralof: kind of shorter, buff, really blond, and had blue eyes. Hadvar: taller, muddy brown hair, like my own, curly too, like mine, and almost just a buff. Both were Nords but… Ralof has a sister: also blond, taller than him. And Ralof has an uncle: also brown hair, tall like Hadvar. And… and…

My brain fizzled out. I could not connect the dots. Hadvar and Ralof are not brothers. I had to be thinking something incorrect. If that were true, then Gerdur, Ralof's sister, would call Alvor, Hadvar's uncle, her uncle as well. Unless… wait… what if Hod who was married to Gerdur was actually Hadvar's biological brother, and these two are brother-in-laws? That would explain everything. Hod married to Gerdur, son of Alvor, but that would make them cousins, not brothers. Ok, so… that myth is busted. You know what… I'll just ask.

"Umm… you two are brothers?" I pointed to both of them.

Hadvar shook his head. "Blood brothers."

Ralof nodded. "When we were kids, we used to fight wolves together."

Hadvar sighed. "They were stuffed toys."

"Fifty against the two of us… and we fought bitterly. During the scrap, I was bit by one of them, rendering flesh from bone, blood everywhere."

"He got a splinter from his toy sword." Hadvar explained.

"And then a shield-maiden joined us, screaming wildly, she commanded the wolf army, turning on us at the last second, she charged up to me, holding me down…"

"Gerdur didn't like us playing with her dolls." Hadvar explained.

"Aye, it was a noble fight, and the two of us barely escaped with our lives. Cut and broken, the two of us limped our way to the river, escaping the fury of the witch by diving under, letting the cold water take us away. We floated down stream for hours…"

"More like ten seconds."

"Until we came across a massive waterfall. We tried to fight the current, but nay, 'tis too fast, pulling us down into the cold depths, churning us around like washed clothes. And as we lay there, breathless, consumed with the cold water keeping us pulled under, the wind took us. And we fell… into darkness."

I glanced over to Hadvar to see if he could explain that. His eyes were distant, like he was back in that nightmare. Uh… this is not what I signed up for.

While we stood around like jackasses, Alduin was busy picking apart the Imperial Legion, breathing fire down like it was nothing. The Legion continued to die all around us. I wondered how long until Alduin turned his attention over to us. I wondered how long until I could change out of this potato-sacked clothing they forced me in at the start of the game.

"When the darkness broke, I found myself lying on the edge of the river, Hadvar clinched in my hand. The two of us had escaped our harrowing demise, but lo… it came at a price. The price was too steep for either us to fathom."

"We were grounded for a week." Hadvar said with a sigh.

I've been grounded for longer for a lot less.

"So, as we lay there in the cold waters, we were bloody and broken, and the two of us connected our arms, calling each other blood brothers, blooded in the forge of men. The wolves tested us, the water tested our resolve. We died in the fall into darkness as children, and emerged as men. And we became brothers." Ralof finally finished his story, and I'm wondering just how much of it was actual reality. I mean, Hadvar shared enough that I understood the boyish charm of… imagining great battles where there were none.

Alduin landed nearby, crushing an Imperial under his weight. He snaked his head around, breathing fire over a wave of Imperial soldiers. Ok… we're done here.

"If we continue to waste time, we're going to die." I said to the two 'brothers'. "We have to get moving, now."

Hadvar nodded. "Fine. Ralof… guard my back."

"What happened to the seeress?" He looked down at me, probably wondering why I'm being carried.

"I broke my leg jumping over to the inn."

Ralof's eyes shot up. "Oh… I thought you would tuck and roll."

"Too afraid of heights. I shut my eyes when I jumped."

Ralof sighed. "That was your fault then." He turned his attention to my leg, running his hand across it. "Hmm…" He shrugs. "I don't feel any swelling, and the bone seems intact. I'd say you're safe to stand."

Me, take advice from a Nord? No way.

I pushed Ralof's hand away from my leg. "Unless you can use magick to see the inside of my leg, then don't offer advice on how 'healed' it might be. I don't want to stand up and be proven wrong and end up with more damage than I started with."

Out of the corner of my left eye, I could see Alduin looking right at us. "Um… we need to move!"

Hadvar and Ralof were finally noticing the fact that there was a dragon just 20 feet away, and that's…. too close for me. And he was arching back like he was about to breathe fire. Shab!

"I got this!" Hadvar said as he tossed me over to Ralof. "Take her!" I almost screamed a protest as I was tossed like a sack of useless potatoes over to Ralof, who managed to grab me more or less correctly. Meanwhile, Hadvar was pulling out his shield, placing it in front of us. "Move towards the door! I'll cover us." Just in time for Alduin's fire Shout to rain down on top of him, his shield doing what it could to absorb the impact.

Ralof started running towards the door, and Hadvar kept himself positioned in a way that protected the three of us from the wave of fire descending on us. And I'm just wondering what I can possibly do to help. I kept coming up with nothing though, and focused even harder on fixing my leg. And the Healing spell was active as it coursed through my leg, I could feel it working. The pain was pretty much gone now so… I think I'm good. I just might to continue working on it for right now, make sure it's good enough to run on.

"This would make a better comic than a book!" I screamed to myself as we rushed through the door, the flames of Alduin still pushing down on top of us as he approached. As soon as we cleared through the door, Hadvar reached out for the door handle, pulling the door shut behind me. He screamed in pain, reaching for his hand, which was now thoroughly burned by grabbing the hot metal frame that made up the door handle.

Once we were inside, it was suddenly quiet. I could hear Alduin outside, breathing fire on someone else, but we were safe at least.

"I hope Ulfric got out alive." Ralof said with a sigh.

"I do hope General Tullius was able to escort the civilians to safety." Hadvar grunted out as he started tending to his burned hand. His shield arm was turning red too, as well as blisters starting to form. Oh no… second degree burns, maybe even third degree. Not good, very bad, very very bad.

Ralof noticed it too. "You're burned."

Hadvar winced as he moved his arm. "No doubt. This is bad."

How to treat burns? Oh yeah. "We need to cool his burned area in some cold water for a few mintues… and then apply some kind of clean wrapping to it to keep it from getting infected. And maybe… I can use Healing to help it along."

Hadvar nodded. "You're starting to sound like a healer, seeress. Tell me, do you see a body of water nearby for me to rest in?"

Yeah… I know where there's one. "Yup. Under the keep, there's a small stream with a small waterfall. You can rest in the water, we'll be safe. I kind of want a shower anyway." A cold shower? I wonder how that will feel as an Argonian. Uh… I might want to wait until I can take a warm bath. I have Flames, so… yeah. Actually that could work. Huh… I think I can handle that much at least. And I know there's a change of clothes nearby, worn by some dead guy but… hey, it's clothes. And they're magically enchanted robes. I wonder how it will feel to wear enchanted clothes. Only one way to find out.

"Well, anyway, we're not getting closer just standing here." Ralof said as he started setting me down. "You, seeress." He pointed to the dead Stormcloak. "Gungar here is not going to be needing that weapon anymore, or his armor. You should get changed." He grabbed onto my sacky clothing, rubbing it with his fingers. "This… whatever fabric this is, won't do much for arrows."

I nodded. "Yeah… but…" I looked at the Stormcloak armor. "It's covered in blood, and…" I know what happens when you die… you release your bowels… and other liquids. "I'm not wearing his clothes." Huh… if that's true then… those robes will have to be washed before I put them on. Ooh! I can dye them new colors too! Joyous day.

Ralof stroked his cheek. "Is it because there are two guys in your presence? We can vacate while you change."

"I'm not wearing Stormcloak colors!" I suddenly screamed. "Just… please don't ask me to wear your faction's armor set. Either of you. There are clothes down in the dungeon that I will choose to wear. Mage clothes."

Hadvar nodded. "I doubt she will be changing her mind, and my arm is beginning to hurt worse. I even feel tired and faint. I do not wish to continue on like this." He looked over to me, as I sat there on my butt. "Can you stand?"

Well, it was now or never, I suppose. I turned myself around, resting on my knees as I brought my right leg underneath me. I brought my left leg under me next, and using my right leg mostly, I pushed myself back up onto my feet. I shifted my weight a little on my left leg, but I felt a small pressure of pain, and I instantly stood off it. "Any crutches I can use?"

"A what?" Ralof shrugged.

"Oh come on! This world doesn't have crutches? How advanced is this world? A cane, anything?"

"Oh…" Ralof nodded. "We have canes. And splints. Do Argonians call them crutches?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not. It's a thing I can use to walk with, keeping the pressure off my leg while it continues to heal. I think if I got my hands on some Hist sap, this would be good as new in seconds. But… I have no Hist sap."

Hadvar rubbed the back of his head. "And I know not of any Argonians in the Legion. Your best bet would be to go to Windhelm and speak to the dock workers. They might know of any Hist communities. But… that trip would take a couple days, and by then, your leg would be healed by the use of your Healing magick."

Yeah, that's about what I thought. "There's a healer in Whiterun. I want to talk to her. Or…" I know a healer that's much closer. And it's on the way to a very important dungeon I want to go to. "There is this really old woman. She might be willing to help me."

And I started thinking of what exactly what might happen. _Fool, no one must ever know my secret._ And Then Anise laughs manically as she spews fire at my face, melting it off.

Yeah… visiting Anise might not be the best idea, even if I go alone. Well, here's to not dying.

"There's an old woman, Anise. She's a witch, but she's a good one, as long as we approach her carefully. Let me do the talking, and she'll…"

"Anise?" Ralof says, rubbing his chin. "The kind woman who baked pies for us when we were children?"

Hadvar nodded. "Who would have guessed. When I fell and banged up my knee, she healed it by kissing it and rubbing it. I never would have guessed."

And now… I have confirmation that she knows Healing spells. Perfect.

"Once we treat Hadvar's arm, we'll get him bandaged up and then head to Anise's cabin. And hopefully… nothing bad will happen." Oh crap, I just jinxed us… didn't I?

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Yup, my leg's still pretty sore, but i'll manage. And i smell like burning. Ugh... i can't wait for a shower.


	3. Walking Doesn't Suck Anymore!

**Ceabhail** :

I'm still alive, but gods is it hot today. I'm sweating my scales off.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

Breaking apart two axes and using their handles for a splint, I wrapped my leg together, using a greataxe that I broke down into a walking stick as my cane. Of course, Ralof was pissed at seeing three axes he could have used as weapons reduced to my temporary splint, even if my leg is tolerable. I'm still not taking any chances. I've never broken my leg before, and I'm not sure how it's supposed to feel when it's ready to be walked on. The pressure I felt when I stepped on my leg was not reassuring, and I wasn't about to go walk down the staircase without it being triple wrapped and sealed in an air-tight fresh container, and marked "For Emergency snacking only" only to be eaten a few seconds later because I really wanted it. Umm… I kind of got sidetracked and grabbed a candy bar while I was thinking this but… whatever. Also… I don't know how I got this candy bar. Did I download a mod for that?

I could still hear Alduin outside the keep, but… he wasn't knocking down walls or anything. Just how much of this world is game logic, and how much of it is illogical bullshit? And by that I mean… if I were a dragon and I saw people run into a building, I would be kicking the walls down to find them. How come Alduin isn't doing that? He knows I'm the Dragonborn, he knows that I'm here, and if he's game code, he knows that I will someday kill him and eat his soul. If he's meta enough, he'll know to find and kill me as soon as possible. Or… he's programmed to let me escape. Could be why he hasn't targeted me yet. But… that's video game logic. Everything I've seen so far indicates otherwise. Dammit.

I turned to look at the two warriors that followed me into the keep, but only because I convinced them both: Hadvar and Ralof. Changed the script right there. Just doing that alone should have caused a game crash. But then again… I wonder just how much of the game I am able to crash anyway. Can I break the game by kissing a Khajiit, or a Wood Elf, the two races in the whole game you can't romance at all? Seriously though, the developers are racist as hell to not give you at least two or three of each gender and race to romance. It's not like there weren't enough to choose from: Kharjo and J'zargo actually give you quests to complete, and like most followers, you should be able to romance them. Same with the wood elf, Faendal, in Riverwood. I should totally help him get that girl he likes to like her back and then totally make him love me instead. Poetry.

Oh well, we need to get moving. I reached out with my bundled leg, leaning on the walking stick as I did so. I was ready for the inevitable snap to happen, but I only felt that weird pressure, and nothing else. Not even numbness from the wrapping. Great! I can walk.

I nodded to Ralof and Hadvar. "Ok, I'm doing better than I thought I would be doing."

Ralof's eyes deadpanned. "Aren't you a seeress?"

I smirked at him. "Do you want to me to tell you exactly who you will end up kissing by the end of this adventure?"

Ralof's cheeks blushed over as he turned away from me. "Let's get going."

"The answer is Hadvar by the way." I said aloud enough to make both men's shoulders tighten up, and they did that comical jump as they both thought about it. Man… blood brothers have some weird problems with the concept of making out with each other. Weird.

As the two men just continued to stand there, looking away from each other, this was proving to be the opposite of what I needed right now. I needed both of them to be able to easily spin around each other, acrobatically dancing and slashing with their weapons, becoming death itself as they cleave waves and waves of enemies all while I stand back here and telling them to kiss already. I would be more than glad to fight too, but… nah. I think I'll work on my stealth skill set while not putting pressure on my probably broken leg. Not sure how stealth works when you can't squat. Huh… does stealth even work anymore?

I forced myself onto my knees, hopping my way over to Ralof. Hadvar just watched me for a second, but after I glared at him, he just glared away. I smiled as I reached into Ralof's pocket. Hmm… keys, some kind of small pointy thing… and that would be his dick…

"Hey…" Ralof said as he turned to look down at me. "What are you doing?"

"Shh…" I said, looking up at him. "I'm being stealthy. As long as I don't take something from you, it's not a crime."

Ralof growled at me. "I beg to differ."

Hadvar only rubbed his forehead in despair. "You are becoming less and less the hope I was hoping for."

Oh well, might as well become serious for a minute. "Right…" I pulled my hand out of Ralof's pocket. "Ok then, I'll be serious. I deal with certain death in weird ways." Apparently. I cleared my throat, thinking of what I remembered coming up. "Ok… so… last I checked, as we head through this hallway, there will be a small cave-in in the main hallway, but it will be after a door that leads into a storage room. Now… I don't know if it will be Imperials or Stormcloaks up ahead, but… we need to convince them to be friendly. We should gather up the potions in that room." I really want to know what the potions taste like. That will be an exciting moment for me. And a health potion should actually fix this leg of mine. Double yay. "And there should be health potions there. If those can heal my leg…" I looked at the two men.

Hadvar nodded. "I used one for my damaged pride for when Lydia rejected my proposal."

Ralof sighed. "Me too. I used to be sweet on her when she lived in Helgen, but then… she got the idea in her head that she should become a knight, and moved to Whiterun to become a Thane. She laughed at me when I proposed to her, just moments before Hadvar did. She cracked her knuckles and pummeled both of us to the ground, laughing manically as she brought ruin upon our names. In a few minutes, she broke several of our bones, throwing us in the center of the town where she began to verbally pick apart our individual natures, reaching into our chests, grabbing ahold of our essences, and pulled out the darker parts of our souls that we ourselves never knew existed. From there, it was only a short while before…"

Hadvar sighed. "She kicked Ralof onto his butt, and told us both to head back to Riverwood. When Ralof asked for a reason why, she looked back at him and said he's too dramatic for her tastes." Oh, I'm going to like Lydia then.

I smirked as I stood up, looking at Hadvar. This was a story I wanted to hear more about. "And why did she reject you?"

"Lydia…" Hadvar shrugged. "She thought I preferred the company of guys." His face blushed over. "She thought I was dating Ralof." Oh… Oh, I'm totally going to love having her around then. "When I proposed to her, she was befuddled…" Wow, that's a three-dollar word these days. "She turned around, not even answering me, and then Ralof was right behind her, doing the same thing. I think we broke her. She kicked Ralof to the ground and then walked away, saying what I said she said earlier."

Well, this has been my afternoon fun, but I want to get that health potion and finally shed my leg splint. "Ok, enough backstory and character building. Let's go get my leg fixed, finally." I nodded to the men. "Now, remember, there will be a ceiling that will collapse. I'm not Deadpool, and this is not the X-Force, and I will not cause my team to die in hilarious ways because of some oversight that I totally forgot to take into account (like how this is not a video game anymore, and literally anything can happen at any time because real life is not a fucking video game)." That last part I did an inner monologue for, so Ralof and Hadvar did not hear me say it. Just thinking to myself. Kind of like right now.

My reference was once again… wasted on the philistines. Hehe… troglodytes. Oh, Kuroko, you perverted genius teleporter. That word was a gift for me. Anyway, we're not getting any closer to staying alive if we just continue standing here.

The three of us charged down the staircase, and I swore I heard the gate behind us swing open, and that same loud-mouth Imperial captain was probably walking into the room right now, looking for me and Ralof, so that we could ambush them and I could see how combat in the game works, not to mention allow me to grab the gate key to unlock the door… which no one unlocked last I checked. Huh… how did we even get to this corridor? Weird. Oh well, Hadvar must have unlocked it (he has the key on him). If we stood here, would I get the chance to kill the Imperial captain woman? The one that orders my execution, but never did because I did not end up in the execution line. Wait… do I even hate her now anyway? Normally, I'm all over cutting her head off because she tried to have me killed for convenience, but this time around… that didn't happen. I should totally go back and see if I can become her friend. Or maybe she'll catch up.

As we rounded the corner, coming up on the hallway that collapses, I could see the outlines of three Stormcloaks, like always. Upon seeing Ralof, the following Stormcloak waved to him, screaming, "Ralof! You bastard, you're alive!" And the three of them charged over to us.

"Wait, don't!" Ralof screamed, but it was already too late. The ceiling exploded as Alduin did something up top, and it rained massive debris down onto the Stormcloaks, squashing them in the most Deadpool way possible. Blood everywhere. And we stood there, stunned at what had just happened.

"That dragon is relentless…" Hadvar said, shaking his head.

I patted Hadvar on the shoulder. "I knew someone was going to say that." I did not expect the sudden death though. "We should get moving." In case one of us dies next. But… no, Talia, don't get all philosophical about gaming logic… this did not happen in the game. They were supposed to head down a level and meet Emperor Palpatine's clone: the number one reason I choose Ralof half the time.

I limped my way over to the storage room, nudging the door open. "General Tullius wants these potions taken to the refugee evacuation camp." A heavily-armored Imperial soldier was digging into the barrel filled with potions. I want those potions.

"Oh man… a dragon, a real-life dragon." An Imperial archer was shaking in his boots, looking around for any sign of ceiling collapse. I actually agree with him.

Hadvar pushed his way into the room. "Soldiers, report."

The two of them turned on their heel. "Sir?" The soldier nodded to the barrel. "Plenty of health potions, sir. I count at least ten bottled health potions. Stamina potions run into the 20s, sir."

Hadvar nodded. "Good news. Hand us a few stamina potions, and one health potion for the Argonian over here." He waved his hand over to me. "She is important to our cause… she is a seeress, and has a plan on how to keep this dragon from doing more harm."

The Imperial soldier nodded, pulling out a health potion and walked it over to me. "Right away, sir." He handed me the health potion, which looked a little different than it did in the game. It was bottled in the same bottle, still red, but… it's not a solid red. It's more like… an oil?

I popped open the top, taking a sniff. Ok, strawberries. It smells like strawberries. I never did Alchemy in the games, so it's not like I could predict what this would do when I drank it. Or what it would taste like. "Before, I put this in my mouth, I want to know exactly what this potion is make out of."

Hadvar and the Imperial soldier shared a glance, as if the soldier was asking him what was up with me, or if I was just joking around.

Hadvar only shrugged. "She's been like this since I met her."

The Imperial soldier sighed. "It is a concoction normally made from aloe vera leaves mixed with lady's mantle leaves…" He stopped.

Ok… "And what's it taste like?"

The soldier shrugged. "It tastes like healing." Well, he's more sarcastic than I am half the time.

I sighed as I brought the potion to my lips. "Well, down the hatch then…" And then I swallowed it.

"The Imperial Legion also strengthens our potions by adding in boar's blood to aid in the blood loss." The soldier said in a hurry, as if he just remembered.

Too late. I chugged the whole thing, and… well, I've been known to eat my stakes as rare as safely possible, so drinking blood was not exactly on my no-no list of things to do. And I'm sure it was boiled before they poured it in a healing potion. Otherwise… it's not real healing, is it? Oh, who am I kidding? This is just an advanced middle ages, where people used to deal duck-billed masks stuffed with herbs so that the doctors wouldn't get sick when examining patients offering up their practiced, "have you tried praying" method of helping people.

But, that taste was amazing. It felt like liquid miracle in a bottle. Or… did the blood just taste like candy? Or like chocolate? It seemed comparable to chocolate. Is that because I'm a lizard person now with new taste buds? If I bite into a human… will I like what I taste? Oh gods… this is something I should never think about answering, but I so badly want to know now. At least, I could feel the potion working already. My body was feeling good as new, and my leg no longer felt weird when I put pressure on it. Once I shifted my full weigh to my leg, I looked over to Hadvar and Ralof, nodding to both of them. "It's working! I can walk!" I tore the splint off, grinning as lightning cracked on my fingertips. "I can fight!"

I nodded to the group, saying, "Well, we should get moving." I nodded my head to the legionaries. "Good luck helping those refugees." I glared at the soldier. "You attempted to prank me, but apparently, my Argonian taste buds love the taste of blood." I took a step closer to him. "Mind if I experiment with a new blood sipping experiment?"

The soldier backed away. "Well, Captain. I will leave you to your… interesting friend. We need to be anywhere but here, I mean, we need to escort this barrel of potions to the refugees waiting for us." He was quick to walk back over to the archer, and they both tilted the barrel to the side and started wheeling it away. Where were they even going, anyway? Up top where Alduin waited to kill them? Or were we going to follow them further down.

I looked over to Hadvar and Ralof. "Ok, I guess they're going to join us with a barrel of potions. That's cool." I looked to the other side of the room. "Ok, so up next is the torture chamber. Now… the three Stormcloaks we ran into were supposed to go downstairs and fight the Sith Lord wannabee, and we were supposed to help them, or stop the fighting, but I'm not sure that's going to happen now, so… huh…" I rubbed my chin in thought. "More Imperials then." I glanced at Ralof. "How come no one even asked us about Ralof?"

Hadvar smirked. "They probably assumed he's my prisoner." That's a fair assessment.

I glanced over to Ralof to see if he had a comeback prepared, but he just stood there looking slightly sullen. Whatever. I looked back over to Hadvar. "Ok, so in this torture chamber are going to be two Imperials and maybe three Stormcloaks… maybe. If there are, we need to get them to stop fighting. I'm guessing the old man won't want to stop though, he's an ass, so we'll just have to kill him if he doesn't listen. And he doesn't respect rank either, so invoking rank never works on him, Hadvar." Hadvar was about to suggest it, I knew he was, and just hearing me say it before he could, he lowered his upright finger in disappointment. "But that's not what's important. There will be a locked cage, a locked cage with a dead mage." Hehe… it rhymed. "I want his robes." There, easy. And with that mod that makes robes look pretty… they will look kick-ass too. "So… let's go."

And I went ahead, happy that I could skip and run again. Not to mention, I'm still a Monk class, with Monk perks. I read the scrolls, I should know how to make it work. So, I should be able to basically freeze time, or slow it way down to the point where I look like Quicksilver from X-Men. Not to mention, I wanted to see if I could hear fighting ahead. The two Imperials were behind us, trying to control the barrel full of potions as it rolled down the flight of stairs, one step at a time. Why don't they just lift it up and carry it? Or wrap the potions up in several sacks and carry them? What a time waste.

As I rounded the end of the stairwell, I heard no fighting. So, I went into stealth mode, crawling around as I headed to the torture chamber. There were no sounds of any fighting, which meant I was right to begin with. They were the same Stormcloaks I saw dying upstairs. "What are we going to do now?" I heard one of the iconic Nordic accents from the game, or… something like it anyway. It sounded more natural. Huh… I wonder if the Imperials aren't even here then.

I tiptoed down to the torture chamber, taking in what I was seeing. Blood splattered everywhere, the torturer cleaved in half, his assistant facing towards a wall, his head smashed in. Two out of three Stormcloaks stood there, blood dripping off their weapons. Ok then… it would seem they won.

I turned to look at my friends. "Hadvar, you tell your friends to stand down, ok? The Stormcloaks won the fight down here."

Hadvar's face burned red, and Ralof smiled from ear to ear. "You hear that, Hadvar? The Stormcloaks beat your…"

"Not another word." Hadvar said as he glared at me. "And why should I bother? I say we kill them right then and there, be done with them."

I rolled my eyes, even groaning and sighing as I walked back over to him. "Because we need their help, dingus. Remember my speech one chapter ago? The war needs to be put on hold, because we need _every single person available_ to protect this damn country from the countless dragons that are going to plague it. That includes the two Stormcloaks, not sucky ones either, but actual fighters. I bet they'll be important later on, just like your two Imperial friends over there."

Hadvar sighed, but I could see that he was giving up. "I'll go chat with them."

"And you'll come with me." I grabbed Ralof by his arm, pulling him with me. "I don't want those two to cleave my head off when I show up."

I walked down to the torture chamber, Ralof in tow, and I waved to the two Stormcloaks. "Well, isn't this a massive linear way of forcing us into interacting with each other." I laughed as I pulled Ralof with me. I turned to look at him. "Same deal. Tell them to stand down."

Ralof sighed as he walked over to the two Stormcloaks. "Hey, you two. Is Jarl Ulfric down here with you?"

The woman shook her head. "No, he did not come this way. There were six of us, but three went up to find Ulfric, tell him about our escape plan. But… they haven't returned, and we heard some sort of crashing sound. What happened?"

"They were crushed under a collapsing roof." I said as I looked into the locked cage. The dead mage was waiting for me, his robes dirty, and I did smell the crap he expelled, as well as the urine too. I can wash that out. The robes were a lovely light gray with embroidery of silver and gold flames. I really want those robes. Now, I just need a lockpick. "Hey, Ralof. Can I have a lockpick?"

"Who is this?" The Stormcloak man asked as he jabbed his finger in my location. "Why is she with us?"

Ralof glanced at me and then over to his friends. "She's a friend. Speaking of friends… three Imperials will soon be walking down the staircase. We have a truce with them until we safely escape the dragon attacking Helgen."

I sighed as I looked up at the Stormcloaks. "I'm a seeress, and that means, I can see the future. And if we don't all work together, there won't be a world to fight over. The dragon up there is Alduin the World Eater, and he'll kill us all if we don't work together. That means, no Stormcloaks and Imperials killing each other. At least, not until Alduin is dead first." And since I know the full campaign, it should be easy to get the ball rolling. I already have a plan coming together. I just need to talk to Delphine first, but not before fetching that Dragonstone for her, and instead of going through a middleman, just giving it to her directly, and then tell her about Esbern. That will save us a lot of time, and infiltration.

Ralof sighed. "I have seen her powers myself. Somewhat. I have no reason to doubt her. All the same, this is no time to be spilling blood. Think of it like this if you want, the Imperials will be great distractions while we retreat back to Windhelm." The two Stormcloaks seemed ok with that.

Just in time too, because Hadvar joined us with the two Imperials carrying the barrel full of potions. "Is everything ok?" Hadvar asked as he glared at the two Stormcloaks.

"Yup." Ralof nodded. "We're ready to continue on. So, seeress. What's next?"

I looked down at the dead mage in the cage. "I want those robes. Anyone have a…"

Ralof screamed as he brought a greathammer up over his shoulders, screaming even louder as he brought the hammer down on top of the cage's door lock. The door busted open, the door breaking off the hinges. "Well, that defeats the purpose of this segment but… whatever. I'll learn how to lockpick later." I quickly ran into the cage, trying my best to figure out how the robes even came off anyway. "Um… this is normal, right? Taking stuff from a dead person?"

Hadvar and Ralof both looked away, and the two Stormcloaks suddenly felt like it was necessary to wipe the blood off their weapons. The Imperials took this moment to count the amount of potions were in the barrel. That… that does not answer my question.

I sighed as I started undoing the belt, putting it off to the side. Ok… belt goes on last. Good to know. From there, it was literally, a tunic, an under tunic, a pair of paints, a kind of shoulder hood thingy, reminded me too much of the Green Ranger from Power Rangers, and a wrap-over thing that I had when I dressed up as a Jedi for Halloween once. So, that's easy enough. I began folding up the robes, eager to wash them before wearing them. Once I had them wrapped up in a nice little bundle, I turned to face the rest of the team. "Ok, once I get these washed, I'm going to wear them."

Ralof only chuckled. "You took the robes from a Breton mage… are you certain those robes will even fit? They were fitted for a male mage; you are an Argonian girl, slightly fatter…" Trigger. "covered in scales, spikes, and no shoulder mass. While Bretons are skinny, however taller than most Imperials, I suppose those robes might fit you, if you substituted your lack of chest for shoulder mass." Trigger… again.

I watched as both the female Stormcloak and Hadvar backed away from Ralof, as if they knew I was going to kill him. However… I need him alive… for now. "Ralof… shall I tell you in what fashion you will die?"

He almost perked up. "Oh? Do tell."

I smiled as I walked up to him. The mage was carrying a certain spell book with him, and I'm guessing that the mod I downloaded that allows me to study magick tomes a bit every hour is still in effect. I opened the spell book, flashing Ralof in the eyes. There was a bright light, and Ralof recoiled, grabbing his eyes.

"Oh, Thlamor piss!" He jumped back. "I… I…" He blinked his eyes a few times. "Why do I suddenly feel like I understand the basic theory of static electricity and how to duplicate its effects to a constant limitless potential?"

I almost felt like laughing at the implied "unlimited power" joke Ralof just uttered off. Man, for a philistine, Ralof has quite the dictionary… almost like I'm speaking for him. Hmm…

Nah.

I leaned forward, almost meeting his face… if he wasn't taller than me by four inches. "Well, now think. Every time you piss me off, I will flash this book in your face, and each time… you'll grow closer and closer to becoming a mage… and for a strong proud Nord like you…" I ran my fingertips up his arm. "I know that's a no-no. You'll become an outcast… forced to move to Winterhold, to hide up on a desolate college where you'll become friends with Dark Elves and one lonely Nord by the name of Onmund. He's eager to meet other Nords who visit the college. Even guys…" I whispered into his left ear. "And the thing is… as I see it… it will happen. I can see it right before my eyes, and you can even ask your friends. They fear magick and what it can bring. To be honest, I'm having difficulty seeing why you Stormcloaks even trust me… since my seeing abilities are borne of magick." Yeah, the magick of living this game for the past 10 years… doing the same quests over and over again. Well, this and Fallout, Mass Effect, Pokemon, Dragon Age, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and of course… The Sims.

To be honest, I know Ralof would be just fine, if not better for knowing a basic spell like Shock Therapy… I mean… Sparks. His friends might even like him more at parties, if not on the battlefield. He could just touch the tip of an Imperial's arm and send him to the ground, having given him an orgasm upon touch. Oh… and the spell running through his veins, of course.

I turned to face the remaining soldiers. "Ok. So… this is going to be weird but… we're going to go through a cellar and then… we're going to end up in a tunnel, a tunnel covered in spider webs. Now, this may seem unorthodox, but I'm going to turn around, close my eyes, and hum a weird song while the five of you will go into that room and clear it out. And when it's done, Hadvar or Ralof, I don't care which one, will come by, touch me gently on the shoulder, maybe caress it, and then, with my eyes still closed, they will lead me safely to the other side, not allowing me to see whatever might be in that room. Understand?" I looked at the shocked faces of the Stormcloaks and the Imperials.

"Are you saying that there are spiders in the following cave?" Ralof asked.

Hadvar sighed. "What next, giant snakes?"

I smiled. "And that's all the proof I need to say this… Elder Scrolls Six: Black Marsh… confirmed!" Or… Akavir. The Tsaesci… giant snakes. It makes sense, people! They're saying that we're playing Akavir next, or that the Tsaesci will be invading Tamriel to kill the Aldmeri Dominion, or that there will already be a war between the two factions, and you might get three new unlockable races to play as. I'm so excited for that to happen… if it is anyway. I can't wait to play as a Ka'Po'Tun, and see if my brother was right about how they appear: Tiger Khajiits with scales like Argonians. I doubt the second part, I think they just look like Khajiit Chinese dragons. Or they have the ability to become Chinese dragons. That would be cool. To fight Chinese dragons. Maybe the queen dragon herself will grace us on the battlefield as the final boss for the invasion. That would be awesome! But… I'm no game designer or else I would have made a mod for it by now… as well as some Chronicles stuff too. Like a Ruby mod. It would be like Recorder only with Ruby. Or Maleek. Or them both.

We continued to walk down through the corridor into the cell room, where they kept all the prisoners, and from there into a smaller torture chamber, dead bodies hanging in caged suspended into the air. I tried to search the skeletons for gold, but… I realized something… they can't have money if they don't have pockets. I can't search dead bodies, at least not skeletons. Sigh… I miss playing Skyrim already; I don't like living it.

Once we reached the beginning of the next corridor, I nodded to Hadvar and Ralof. "Ok, so… I'm going to wait here for you two to return. And when you do… I will cover my eyes, and you will lead me safely to the other side, without letting me touch a single thing in that room, got it?"

Hadvar nodded. "I get it. You're scared of spiders."

"No, no… you don't understand. I will burn the world if I see one of them." Fire sparked on my palm. "I will burn _everything_. And I will laugh manically while I do it."

That got Hadvar's and Ralof's attention.

"Yes, I think I understand." Hadvar said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ha! I think you will _like_ Lydia." Ralof laughed.

Great… now all that's left is to wait for them to finish up. I mean… finish killing the spiders. And then… one last confrontation. Wait… this doesn't lead to the spiders. That comes…

I turned to Ralof and Hadvar. "Wait! The spiders don't come next. It will either be Stormcloaks or Imperials. I don't know which ones though." It very well might be both. "One way to find out. And once we get there, we need to cross a drawbridge, which after we all cross, which I will go last, the bridge should collapse, another cave-in caused by Alduin, and after that… we'll come across that pool of water that we can clean Hadvar's burn on. And I can wash my new clothes. And… take a shower while I'm at it." I still smell like burning. And…

I reached for my arm, seeing a white thingy forming on my arm. As I reached for it, I found my scaly skin beginning to peel off. I'm peeling? I'm shedding? Is this a common thing for me? It's like dandruff only… so much worse. "I need a bath."

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Yup, I almost thought the next stage was the frostbite spiders, but I remembered at the last second that they came later. Instead of altering three pages of text... I thought i'd just play off my mistake like I honestly would, and did! Yay, mistakes were made already!


	4. Shedding Sucks!

**Ceabhail** :

Umm... this chapter gets all sorts of uncomfortable. Things happen. And I don't know why.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

So, we exited the cell room, the room filled with the many prison cells dug deep into the earth. And yeah… there were poop buckets there. Don't worry, though. I have Divine Cities installed, and though it sucks on my Xbox One… and crashes a lot… I'm in real life now. And real life doesn't crash… but it does suck some times. And with Divine Cities installed, that means… every town, almost every house, has an outhouse. Now, normally, that would suck for people, but I grew up going camping on the weekends, even know how to make my own jerky if I really have to, but most importantly, I know how to dig a hole, take a crap, and cover it up using only a twig, a stem of poison ivy, and baking soda. Because of the poison ivy. I was also in the Army for a while, so I've experienced life in a whole different way. Living in Skyrim, while a bit backwards, might be more comfortable than a tentmate that eats beans and can't hold his gas for three seconds, all while you have guard duty at 2 in the morning, and it's freezing cold, and it's been freezing raining all night long, and your trench wasn't deep enough, so you're soggy… I'm sure you get what I'm trying to say. Gods, I miss the army.

It's too bad I don't know how to make soap or shower gel. I'm sure they have something like that in this world though. And if not… well, magick will fix all that. Or I'll just wash in the river using a rag to wipe away what I can, use some oil from lavender to make myself smell nice, and then shed my scales off. I'm sure something will work eventually.

I nodded to my group, smiling as I looked down at the folded mage clothes in my hands. I couldn't wait to wash these things and wear them. I'll feel like I properly belong in this world… as a cosplayer. I mean… a seeress. Yeah. But first… we need to find out what's going on in the room ahead of us.

"Ok, so here's what I remember." I looked at Ralof and Hadvar. "There is a corridor that will lead us to a left turn. There will be a pathway with a small bridge leading us to a small plateau, and another small bridge that will lead to the other side of the room. There will be a dip in the ground around this area, about knee-high, and it will be like this because there is a natural stream that was probably a lot bigger thousands of years ago, and this was probably an underwater river at some point, and it's just worn away the ground around it, and the keep was probably built overtop of this underwater river due to the fresh water that could be welled and used for all the natural reasons: washing, drinking, bathing…"

"You said that word again." Ralof started scratching at his head. "Bathing. What is that?"

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

I sighed. "You know… sitting in a small river or something with water and rubbing yourself until you smell better."

"Rubbing myself? In a river?" His face blushed over. "That makes you smell better?"

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"I never tried that in a river." He scratched his chin.

"I have." The female Stormcloak stated. "It improves the experience."

I nodded. "See, she gets it." Of course she would. She's civilized. "Now, anyway, back to my explanation. So, I'm guessing that's how this town was even formed to begin with, this underground river being used for water. It might just be a reservoir or something, and it might have become depleted until it formed the small stream we're about to see, I don't know; I don't see the past, only opportunity. So, this stream has formed a small dip in the ground that can be used as cover by our enemies, as well as attack of opportunity on our ankles and shins and stuff. It's hard to fight them… they have the low ground. And somehow that makes it easier for them to actually win in this case. Anakin should have won that fight… he shouldn't have jumped… moron."

"Please get to the point." Ralof was rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry, I do that sometimes." I sometimes ramble on without realizing I even tracked off. "I'm just trying to give you a mental representation of the area. So, all this dipping will be to your right. And on the other side of the dip there will probably be archers. I'm not entirely sure. But… I do know there will be oil on the ground. And one spark of my almighty Spark spell will light it up." Not in Skyrim though. Or does it? I never tried! Dammit! Now I'm curious… and I'll never know for certain. It happens in real life though. So… here's where game logic and actual life conflict. When I spark that oil with my lightning, will it ignite, or will it sit there compliant with game physics? Today on _Gaming Theories with Talia Cearbhail_.

Hadvar was listening diligently, rubbing his chin deep in thought as he contemplated his battle strategy. "I do have a bow and arrow. Maybe if I shoot the ground at just the right spot, I can make a spark of my own, ignite the oil, and set the floor ablaze." Another thing I never tried in Skyrim! _Damnu air_!

I nodded. "Ok, we have our plan. The Stormcloaks will go in, Hulk smash things, and the Imperials will sip tea and talk politics."

Hadvar laughed at the comparison. "We're not Bretons, seeress. We're soldiers."

I nodded. "Ok, I just have one thing to say." I cleared my throat. I walked in front of everyone, looking at them. Ok, Talia… speech time. James was great at these. How did he normally start them?

I raised my hand to the troops. "Men… women. We are gathered here today, not to celebrate, but to fight. We remember those who came before us: Ysgramor: the invader, the conqueror. Talos: the savor, the unifier. Alessia: the slave rebellion leader. We might not be blessed like these legends, but we have a destiny of our own. Before the Great Council, there were generals. Before the Empire, there were slaves. Alessia brought down the Ayleid Empire, but she did so with slaves turned soldiers. Ysgramor tamed Skyrim, but he did so with civilians turned soldiers. The Empire formed from every nation, but it did so with military force. And when the world tried to push our armies down, we held the line. When Oblivion invaded our towns, we held the line. When the Aldmeri Dominion forced its way into the Imperial City, we held the gate! And even though we lost that battle, we brought the Aldmeri Dominion to a point where they lost the flavor for battle, and settled for religious control over the population… because reasons. Today, in Skyrim, we have two armies, two great armies ready to fight for the very existence of our world. Today, the dragon may destroy this city, but in the battles to come, in every town, in every fort, at every road…we will hold that _shabla_ line." There, another reference tacked off my list. I think I did a similar one in a training exercise when I was serving in Fort Bliss.

That had the response I wanted from two Stormcloaks, and the two Imperials, as well as Hadvar and Ralof. They cheered, clapping their hands. I felt pretty good about that. I need to write that one down for later.

Hadvar was almost laughing at my speech. "You sound like General Tullius. Let me guess, you saw him saying a speech like that and repeated it to make us feel better?"

"Um… sure. Yes, exactly what I was going for." Well… whatever.

I turned around, pointing down the ominous hallway. "Ok, soldiers of destiny. Let's meet our comrades… or foes. Whatever is in that room." And with that, everyone charged past me, screaming their war screams. Well, so much for going in quietly. Now, whoever's in there will be expecting us.

I quickly followed behind everyone, trying my best to keep up with the tall Nords who had very long strides. I caught up with them quickly enough, but way after they charged into the chamber ahead. And I heard nothing. And when I entered the chamber, I looked around for any signs of anyone. And all I saw were my six soldiers.

I dropped my hands in disappointment. "Oh… come on!" I looked around the cavern. The bridges were still where they were supposed to be, the stream flowing like I thought. There was even oil on the adjacent floor, but… no enemies. No Stormcloaks, no Imperials… nothing. Not even bandits or Draugr waiting for us. Or Falmer… whatever random encounter that could generate.

I looked over at Hadvar and Ralof. "Wow… that falling meteor did some damage to my head. I was certain I saw someone in this room."

"Look here." A Stormcloak lifted up a cloth. "An Imperial ration bar wrapping." He sniffed it. "Still smells like fresh food, and I see a bit of saliva. I think whoever was here moved on."

Well, that's a start. "Either way, we can move on now." I pointed to the entrance on the other side. "Through there will lead us to a drawbridge. We lower it, and then we'll come up to that waterfall we can use to cool Hadvar's burns, I can get a shower, and I can wash these robes. Might as well take as long as we can. The dragon won't be able to reach us once we get past that bridge. I have to pass last though. It's going to cave-in once I cross that bridge, and I don't want to lose anyone like we did the three Stormcloaks from earlier."

Everyone hurried across the small bridges, the two Imperials still turning the barrel of potions as they wheeled it with them. Soon enough, they'll have to carry it. Once we were on the other side of the room, I bent down, running my fingers in the oil. I brought it to my nose, sniffing it. Yup… smelled like oil. Like the oil I would use when I changed the oil in my car. Cool. By theory, if I knew how car engines worked, I could make my own car. But… I'm no mechanic. But, I do know how bikes work. Sort of. Enough that I can make a rough draft. More importantly.

"Does anyone have an empty bottle?" I asked around.

Ralof tossed me the healing bottle I drank from earlier. "Will this do?"

I shrugged. "I hope so." I brought it down to the oil, trying to splash as much of it as I could. I was quickly filling up the bottle. "Instant Flame Helper." I smirked at the thought of cooking a bandit alive after I splashed him with this and then launched a bolt of lightning or fire at him. Gods… I should never entertain thoughts like this… but I've living in a world where people kill people every day, especially kids. Oh… and I'm also living in Skyrim now too, I guess. Might be just as dangerous as living in Cleveland.

I scooped the oil into the bottle, which was easier than I thought it would be. It was a thicker oil, almost like mud. And once it was capped, I joined the others at the bridge. Everyone had already crossed the bridge, and they were waiting for me on the other side. I sensed a feeling of foreboding, like I was the NPC on the other side as the cave-in happened, and I bolted to the other side. Right as I reached the bridge, I felt the ground tremble, and I knew this was it. It was do or die time. I held my breath and pushed forward. Rocks were falling down all around me, and the massive bit was right above my head.

Something in my mind clicked, and I felt the world around me become still. My nerves were on fire, my heart came to a dead stop. Everything looked blurred, blue-toned, and most importantly… everything almost came to a standstill. Oh… the Monk spell: Mind and Body, was activating. Ok… I think I can remember how this spell works. It actively freezes the world around me, but in reality, the explanation is that my mind is so focused that I'm thinking so quickly, that the world seems to slow down. My body is a blur as I push off the bridge, flying past the falling mass of rocks, crashing into Ralof and Hadvar, as I wrap my arms around both of them to stop myself from becoming a bloodstain on a rock on the other side of the cave. The force of my speed knocked them both over, and I had to turn my head to the side to keep myself from busting my beak on the stone floor as I tumbled the three of us over.

Time quickly came back to normal right as I gently smashed the left side of my face on the floor.

"Well… that happened." I said as I started pushing myself up. As I lifted myself up, a section of my face stayed glued to the floor. It seemed that my peeling scales were coming off my face. As I started taking my arms off Ralof and Hadvar, sections of my arm scales peeled off me as well. Great… just great. I looked down at what used to be my beautiful scales. Everything was turning pale and white. Shit. I really need a shower now.

"Sorry about that, guys." I said as I reached for my arm, peeling off a bigger section than I was hoping I'd peel off. "I seem to be shedding."

One of the Imperials looked at my face, examining it. "Did your Histskin activate at any point today?"

I shrugged. "I think it did."

He nodded. "That explains it then. Have you never had it happen before?" I shook my head. He smiled. "Whenever your Histskin heals you from near death, your scales shed like that. It peels away the death, allowing your body to heal. Those scales peeling away are the sacrifice for restoring life. My friend Meesei explained that to me after she recovered from several arrows to her chest." Apparently, I can survive an arrow to the chest. That's great to know. And now I'm glad I chose an Argonian.

I was happy to hear that, actually. Now, I knew why I was shedding like crazy. It wasn't an everyday thing… it was a price for Histskin thing. Even more reason for my shower. And I could see the falling river now. I pointed to the waterfall, saying, "Ok, so… Hadvar gets in first. He starts treating his burns… and I'll be working my healing magick while he's doing so. And I'll be in that waterfall too, letting my scales shed. Um… just so we're clear, I will be in my underwear so… I'm not a pervert or anything I just want to be clear… I'm basically taking a shower while treating Hadvar's wounds. Ok? So… everyone but Hadvar just… look away while I'm fixing him."

Hadvar sighed. "Why did I think this would be any different than your behavior already?"

"Because I'm weird… and an opportunist." Just not perverted. "And to be clear, not an opportunist like I'm taking an opportunity to show you my body… an opportunist as in… I get to clean my body, shed my scales, while you're cleaning your burns. And my healing magick can help it along so… it only makes sense that we both do this at the same time. That kind of opportunist." It still seems sketchy, but… whatever. Let's just get this over with.

I walked over with Hadvar to the waterfall. Everyone quickly found ways to look away, and once they were looking away, I pulled off the potato sack they called prisoner clothes, half of my body coming off with them. Well, that takes some of the pressure away from my shower. I'm also never wearing these robes ever again so… who cares if my scales are stuck to them. I tossed the rags to the corner of the cave. Some troll can eat those for all I care. I unfolded my mage robes and strung them out in the river, letting the water flow over top of them. That should wash them out while I'm washing. Wait… scales, flowing down… getting stuck in the clothes. Shit. I set them off to the side; I'll deal with them later. And now… I have no clothes to change into. Either I wear the potato sacks with scales stuck to them… which would be uncomfortable… or I wear robes that are covered in shit and piss.

Or…

I glanced back towards the drawbridge. There was a separate stream heading down into the slightly bigger stream. I'm so glad I remembered that. I ran the clothes over there, setting them in the river. Now, let those clean while I clean myself in a different body of water. After I set them down to be cleaned, I walked myself back over to Hadvar, who was already undressed to his underwear and running his left arm under the water. The burn was all the way down his left side. I could see the red building on his ribs. Jeez… that's worse than I thought. It wasn't just his right hand, or his left arm… it was almost his whole chest area. Holding that shield with Alduin breathing fire down on him must have been worse than I thought. I really don't want to face down a dragon's breath attack now. I don't want to be charred bacon.

"Jeez…" I whispered as I approached Hadvar. He was quick to avert his eyes to the ceiling as I walked over to him. I was just as quick to not look down. I was too focused on the blisters already forming on his left arm. His chest didn't look so bad though. It was red and beginning to bulge but not blistering. I should at least start there to make sure it doesn't. I bet Healing Hands is just like Healing but directed at someone else. Can I even do that, though? It's not like I know it as a preset spell.

"Let me ask you a question." I brought my hand to his burned ribs. "When people learn spells, do they have to read tomes to learn new ones… or is it something they just discover?"

He was happy for the distraction. "If you're wondering if you can use Healing Hands, it's intuitive, but only for healers. You were quick to heal your leg, so just focus that feeling onto me through your hands. It will work the same way. For Illusion and Alteration, tomes are recommended. Destruction is much like Restoration. Your lightning and Flames can be focused into new spells, but Icicle and Frostbite are different. One is a flurry of cold, the other an actual piece of ice. It's something I'm sure you'll figure out as you progress as a mage, but there is a difference between concentrated spells and new spells of the same category. Healing is Healing, but Turn Undead is not. Your Healing cannot form Turn Undead, but it can form Healing Hands when directed as such. It can form Grand Healing if gathered strongly enough. And if you can learn to throw it, like with Fireball, you can form Heal Other, a concentrated ranged form of Healing Hands." He smirked. "It feels nice to explain this to someone else." He glanced down at me. "Why is it you seem so foreign to our every day reality? Every kid must learn this, true… but you are an adult. You should know the rules of this world by now."

I chuckled. "Let's just say I was kept in a tower the whole time. And this is my first time actually experiencing the world with my own eyes and not the eyes of another."

I started focusing my Healing on his side, and my hands started glowing into his side. I could actually feel the Healing taking effect on his skin and muscle. Good, it was actually working. This was quickly becoming an intuitive thing for me.

"I suppose it would be like that. A seeress would be kept safely tucked away in some tower. Were you the tool of witches, or were you a daughter of a shaman of your tribe?"

I shook my head. "Nothing of the sort, sadly. I was actually raised in a martial arts temple situation with my brother. Our mother was a martial artist, our father a… well… he's something else. She passed away when I was eleven, but by then, my brother and I were in a dojo, training with the same master she trained with. And we just kind of stayed there. I kind of stayed there." Of course, there were other adventures, but it would just raise more questions for Hadvar to heckle me with. Like joining the army, going to college. It would reject the notion that I didn't experience this world like I just said a second ago.

While I continued to heal his chest and arm with my new Healing Hands with my right hand, I was using my left hand to brush off as much scales as I could. My scales were washing off like soap in the shower. It was like Argonians had evolved for their scales to do this in water or something. It was nice to see the shiny new layer of scales underneath. While Hadvar was looking up, I lifted up my bra for a few seconds while I cleared out the scales in there too. And then repeated for the other areas as well. I used a talon to clean out my ear holes, and then picked my nose. There weren't any scales flaking in there though, so I'm happy I won't have to do that too much.

After my scales were cleaned off, I focused both of my hands on healing his blistered arm. His chest was clearing up nicely, and although it was still red, I could tell that it was healing underneath. He would be peeling much in the way I would with an Irish sunburn after spending six minutes in the sun. Too much for it to be reasonable.

It took us like ten minutes to get the Healing to the point where his burns were manageable. I had to stop before it was completely done though. I was feeling drained of magick, which I know would return not too long from now, based on game knowledge, and I was feeling deathly cold from the freezing water falling down on top of us. I'm not entirely cold-blooded it seems, as my body seems to heat itself up, but it's still bad if I'm cold. I felt faint, my body felt like it was going to lock up on me, and I knew I had to get out of the water soon or I would die in the waterfall. Hadvar wouldn't be affected of course; Nords weren't affected by cold anything. Their blood demands natural defenses for the cold.

So, as I exited the cold shower, I walked over to my clothes, plucking them out of the river. I breathed deeply, summoning Fire magicka, just like Zuko, and used it to warm myself. Once I had myself warm, I used the same fire to warm my clothes, helping them dry off. It didn't take long, and once they felt damp I decided to fuck it and threw them on. It didn't take long at all to figure out how to put the clothes on. I did get stuck on putting the sash thing on, and almost threw it in the corner with the rest of my rags, and to be honest… it wasn't like I needed the sash. My outfit looked awesome even without it, but I managed to get it set once I got my belt on and then… just kind of shimmied it around until it looked… presentable? Straight? I don't know, it just seemed good enough for me. Who knows what the backside looks like. Oh… and I had to make a tail hole, which was near impossible. Try tearing enchanted fabric… I bet it doesn't work so easily for you.

It turns out… I didn't need to. As I slipped the pants on, convinced I was just going to have to deal with my tail sticking down one of my legs for right now, the pants seemed to shift upon touching my skin. A tail hole formed, they tightened up a bit, even shrank to the size of my legs. And that's when I realized… enchanted clothes actually mold themselves to your size. A set of robes could last you your whole life, I bet. That's awesome. No wonder why the robes in Skyrim seem to fit everyone indiscriminately. They magickally change shape. I need a canon theory for the armor though. Oh well, maybe later I'll find out.

By the time I had my clothes dried and put on, Hadvar was back to wrapping himself in his leather battle dress; yes, Imperial armor is just a leather dress with metal clipped to it. Fight me.

I looked over to the rest of the group, all of them had their backs turned, all but the Stormcloak woman. She was looking down at me, her hands resting on her chin like she was bored with the whole display. "Are we ready?" She asked as she saw me clip my belt back on.

I nodded. "Yup." I ran my fingers through my feathers, happy that they didn't fall off with my peeling scales. I wonder how hard I would have to pull to pull out a feather… and would it grow back? Huh… I think I'll wait until I meet another Argonian and ask them personally. I don't want to lose my hair if I don't need to.

Everyone started turning around, happy that I was done forcing them to look away while I bathed myself. My scales were back to their lovely black and gray, and I'm sure my feathers were just as beautiful purple as they were when I first designed my character.

"So, seeress." Ralof started walking down to me, nodding at my new robes. "I see the robes fit you after all."

I smiled. "They were enchanted to change shapes. I did not expect that, honestly." Game logic at its best, honestly. I looked back up at Ralof. "Ok, so once we head down that tunnel." I pointed to the tunnel that followed the stream. "It will dead end, and then there will be a small skull with a bag of coins right next to it. The small path there will take us to those… I dare not speak their names. And I'll wait by the skull while you six kill them. It should be easy; there are only six of them, I think. Two are actually big, four are small and babyish." And by babyish, I mean the size of dogs. No thanks.

Ralof nodded. "Well, let's hope you grasp that knowledge better than you did the last ambush you predicted."

I crossed my arms. "Trust me, they're there. I can hear them scuttling around as we speak." Don't question me, Ralof. Joining forces with the Empire and Stormcloaks meant that the game's universe couldn't decide who to throw in the room to attack us. So… it left the room empty. That's easy to figure out.

Ralof nodded to his followers. "Come, Hilde, Grunt. Let's clear that place out." The one guy's name was Grunt? Well… the game was literal sometimes.

"Try to do it quietly; in the adjourning room is a single bear, and if it hears you" which it shouldn't, but who knows with this world "it will probably charge the room and try to kill you."

Ralof nodded. "That is a bit more of a threat. But… the bear is a threat anyway." He nodded to Grunt. "You can handle the bear, right, Grunt?"

He grunted in reply. Oh… Oh, I get it. But… wasn't he speaking earlier? I pointed my finger to him. "He talks right?"

Ralof smiled. "That's Grim… he doesn't talk much."

Grunt… or Grim… whatever he's calling himself, grunted lightly. While I love Inquisition, I wish we could choose a character trait for this character and just have it stick.

"Ok, is it Grunt or Grim? Is he a mindless tank-bred Nord killing machine of gore and violence… or is he a noble kicked out of his kingdom and forced to join a ragtag group of mercenaries working for a guy with a helmet covered in commercialized goat horns who wears a binder?"

Ralof crossed his chest. "I do not wear a binder."

I nodded. "Uh-huh, sure you don't, sweetie." This was fun. I might be stuck here, but I'm loving the interactions I'm having with Ralof and Hadvar already. But… I am starting to get hungry, and I don't trust any food I'll find down here. We need to leave, and now. "Let's get this underway. I'm hungry, and I'm sure Grunt or Grim, or Puri Puri Prisoner over there can handle a few spiders and a bear… probably."

Grunting Grim glanced at Ralof, and Ralof shrugged. "Well, Grim's his name, but Grunt is his nickname. Like how yours is Seeress."

"Actually, it's Tabby, but whatever." I dismissed it with a wave of my hand.

"Like a cat?"

I sighed, nodding. "Yup…" Exactly like a cat. Fuck you, James. I've never been able to shake that nickname. I guess it's grown on me a bit. "Anyway, Grunt has some spiders to squash. Are you sure he can handle it on his own?"

Ralof shrugged. "Hey, Hadvar, want to spare one of your soldiers for a coordinated assault on a mindless insect?"

Hadvar shrugged. "Um… sure. You." He pointed to the archer. "Guard the crate. You." He pointed to the heavily armored Nord behemoth. "Go help Grunt."

He saluted by pounding his chest. "By your orders, sir." He marched off with Grunt, both men trying their best to avoid eye contact, and bumping shoulders the entire way to the spiders.

I fake-swiped a tear from my eyes. "It's so cute… watching them flirt."

Ralof glanced at Hilde. "While they're handling the spiders, let's go make sure that bear won't be sneaking up on us."

She nodded, pulling off her greatsword. "Oh, this will be the stuff of legends."

I almost wanted to go with Ralof and Hilde but… spiders. They're still alive… and I don't want them to be. And I don't want to leave my spot until I know they are no longer alive anymore.

So, I stood there and watched as Ralof and Hilde left the rest of the party, just leaving me with Hadvar and other Imperial guy who carries a bow. And as I stood there, looking at the two of them, the archer seemed to take a hint that I never threw him, and he pointed over to the destroyed bridge. "Well, I am going to try to dig out that entrance, in case General Tullius comes this way down." He quickly left Hadvar and me alone. Ok… I'm not stupid, I know when we're being shipped. Taking a shower together partially and for a few seconds completely naked did not pass over my head like it would other protagonists who never seem to know when a flag has been triggered. And now… the two of us are once again… alone in the very same cave we just showered in.

Hadvar seemed just as uncomfortable as I felt. Last I checked, he didn't have to pull down his underwear while he was healing his chest so I don't know what he's so red-faced for. Unless….

I felt my feathers rising as I wondered… did he glance down at me while I was cleaning myself? Oh… I'm going to…

I took a deep breathe. Relax, Talia. I bet that's not even what happened. I'm just throwing thoughts around again, and I get too creative when it comes to situations that don't even exist. Like my prank war with James when we were 13. He's crafty… way too crafty. And by the end of our birth month, he had me paranoid at every corner of our house. Who thinks of putting honey in shampoo? Why? Why would anyone even do that? That's just rude.

"So…" Hadvar began to speak, and I was still fuming over my brother's reaction when I had to have my head shaved during our summer vacation that very same year for our stupid prank war. "You seem… very upset by something."

"Just thinking of how I want to get my brother back for his stupid pranks." If I _could_ ever get him back. I doubt it though. I can't reach him from where I'm at.

"Oh… I thought you were mad at me." He chuckled at the thought. "I saw you glaring at me and it scared that soldier away, so I thought you were going to kill me or something for looking at you while you were washing your scales."

I stood there, completely frozen. So… he did watch me then. Damn you, paranoid me, for being right for once! Being a main protagonist that's being forced into these scenarios is annoying. And embarrassing, but not as much as it used to be. I could easily walk up to him, flash him a few times with my new spell tome (perverts, you probably thought I meant flashing him something else), and make him a battlemage. It wouldn't be actual revenge though, but it would make him a better companion to fight alongside. My revenge would be… well… I don't want to write it down. It's pretty graphic. So, I'll just think it out loud, and hope anyone reading this particular Elder Scroll recording my destiny don't vomit.

…

Eh, I don't feel like it right now, honestly. I'm not as bloodthirsty as I was when I was 20. I'm pretty mellow these days. And tired. But if I was 20 again, and someone had seen me without clothes, I'd use my shinai was target practice, smashing the memory out of their heads, tying them up like piñatas, and taking target practice on their dicks while hoping candy comes out, and once I hear the nutcracker calling, finish by anally inserting my shinai through one end and out the other. Not really though. I'd just nut shot him and then rip his clothes off and toss him in the girl's locker room. My people would judge him accordingly. We are not gentle.

I just continued to stand there, allowing the moment to pass by without even commenting on his observation of that I looked angry. I allowed myself to grunt as I turned around. Not even going to respond to that comment. No snark, no follow up quip. Just… uncomfortable silence. He's seen me enough to know that I quip about everything, and not hearing me quip… that's more unsettling, I'm sure. I'm not even sure how I should respond to that anyway. That's just a weird comment altogether. Who says that to someone?

I let the moment just hang there in the air until I saw Grunt running back to us. I had to turn myself around, closing my eyes as he rushed back into the room, covered in white puss, pieces of long spider legs almost glued to his arms and legs, a dead spider attached to his back being dragged through the stream by a collection of spider threads coming out of its butt.

Great… it's in my mind. It's there… festering. I'm killing him. I'm killing them. I'm killing everyone. This entire place will feel my wrath; the wrath of an Irish girl that hates fecking spiders.

"Good news. I killed the spiders!" Grunt screamed. "I mean… uhh." He grunted in a low response.

Good for you, Grunt. You almost spared your life with that joke. Almost. I'm still killing you to make sure that thing glued to your back is dead and never coming back, or ever going to jump on me and scare me by wiggling its fangs around in a threatening manner.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Ok, I won't kill Grunt. I liked him too much in Mass Effect to ever kill him.


	5. A typical day in Riverwood

**Ceabhail** :

Finally.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"Look, there's the light!" Hadvar screamed as he pointed his hand to the end of the cave.

"Yup. Just like I said." And just like in the video game, I tripped on that stupid bone sitting on the ground in the bear garbage heap filled with bones and skulls. Twisted my ankle a bit, but nothing too bad. I can still walk, and that's what's important.

So, yeah, Ralof and Hadvar led me through the spider nest, keeping me away from anything that could touch me. I never even opened my eyes. I was morbidly curious though. I wanted to open my eyes, because I knew that at some point in the next few days, I'm going to see another spider… and this one will be the size of Clifford the Big Red Dog. If I haven't shat my pants yet… that will pretty much do it.

And after we cleared the spider's den, we walked over to the bear's den. Ralof and Hilde worked fast on it, splitting its head open. Hadvar sighed, looking down at the dead bear, saying, "The most peaceful creature in Skyrim. It's a shame we had to kill it."

The bears of the most peaceful thing in Skyrim? That's the biggest lie since cake. I would just be walking around and then get mauled from behind on several playthroughs just because the game demanded I fight something at that spot. They're not peaceful; I had more peace with the Assassins from the Brotherhood trying to kill me. And that's only because they die really quickly.

And from there, it was just a quick jog to the exit, and man, I'm happy we're finally done with the beginning stage of the game. And I got here without touching a single person. I doubt I can play the whole game without shedding some blood, and I doubt I can end Alduin without getting violent… so I'm not even going to bother with a pacifist run. I've never been one for running from my problems… but I'm also not one for blindly charging to my death. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to be smart about it. No war. I'm not joining any armies. That's stupid. I know I'll die if I'm leading the Imperials to victory, or the Stormcloaks, although I'm not sure why I would lead them. Ulfric is a domestic terrorist at best, tyrannical dictator at worst. My best option would be to get a ceasefire to this war just like I said I wanted… and that's my goal. End the war, and prepare for the dragons. I doubt the game world will wait for me to finish that killing dragon quest before they kick off. Or… maybe it will. If I never do the quest… maybe Alduin will just sit there on a mountain wondering why… nothing's progressing. I could just sit back and watch the dragon grumble as time passes by.

I doubt the world would be that easy, and besides… if I beat the game, maybe I can just… go home? That'd be nice. Maybe not though. Our world is pretty bad right now. Maybe I should just chill here for a couple years and then see if it gets better. Well, either way, I'm here now, and we're at the edge of the cave. Once I step out of here, we're in the world, and this officially starts.

I looked over to Hadvar and Ralof. "Once we step out of the cave, we'll have to squat down and hide for a few seconds. The dragon should fly overhead of us, totally ignoring us as he flies off to wherever he's going." The game never exactly told me where he goes, but… that's not important. I just need to retrieve the dragon stone and give it to Delphine, tell her I'm special, grab Recorder, and head over to Riften, pick up Inigo, and then find Esbern. From there, become a Blade dragons-slaying badass, and confront Alduin, and kill him. Should be quick, should be easy… I'm sure I'll mess it up somehow.

"Well, let's get this over with." I said as I stepped out of the cave. Hadvar and Ralof were right behind me. I crouched down immediately, sticking out my arm to keep everyone from coming out.

And there it was, the loud roar from above. I glanced up, seeing Alduin fly right overhead of us, not even glancing down in our direction. He roared, breathing fire as he did so, and he soared away, flying towards Riverwood.

"Ok… I think he's gone." I whispered to the group. I continued to sit there, waiting, listening. He wasn't circling back, that's for sure. "Yeah… I think we're safe now." I pushed myself up onto my feet.

Hadvar and Ralof followed out next, both of them glancing up in the sky.

"He's really gone then?" Ralof asked as he looked around frantically.

Hadvar nodded. "Seems like it."

The two men both looked at each other, and they both backed away, both of them reaching for their weapons.

I rolled my eyes. "And here is where the six of us part ways." I said as I walked over to the two warring factions. The two Imperials wheeling their barrel of potions, and the two Stormcloaks who actually had names. I looked over at Ralof. "Ralof, you and your comrades should go back to Windhelm, tell Ulfric what I told you about stopping the war for now… at least until the dragon crisis is dealt with." I glanced over to Hadvar. "Hadvar, your two friends should go link up with General Tullius, help the refugees. You and I should go to Riverwood, tell your uncle about the dragon we just saw, and how it destroyed Helgen. And then you should return to Solitude and tell General Tullius about the ceasefire. If either leaders have any problems with this decision… tell them to come find me. I'll be sure to let them know why I'm right, and why they're stupid."

Ralof's face was turning red out of anger. "And why should I leave for Windhelm when you're travelling to Riverwood with Hadvar?" He pointed to Hadvar with his axe. "It seems to me that you're picking your side after all."

Well… I do like the Imperials more than I like the Stormcloaks. The armor is nicer, there are several variants to it and not some blue wrapping over leather. Also, the Empire has always been more accepting of other races… if not racist about it too. Just listen to how some of the Imperial Prefects talk about Skyrim and their 'Jarls' as they say in quotations. They're just as racist as the Nords are, they're just subtle about it. And while I'm more tolerant of the Imperials over the Stormcloaks, my reason for travelling to Riverwood is not because Hadvar is an Imperial and Ralof is a Stormcloak. There are several reasons.

Reason one: Hadvar's uncle is a blacksmith, and his house is littered with armor. Amor that I normally steal. (Shut up, we all do it, I know we do). Reason 2: His uncle lets me take some small items from his residence, which include his iron and steel ingots outside by his workbench. And they pop back up from time to time. And the guards won't ever bother me for doing it, because it won't be illegal.

Reason 3: I have Deadly Bandits installed and that means right now, Riverwood is a nexus of Imperial soldiers watching over the town for an almost scripted battle with the bandits rushing the town through the northern bridge. I think they put this in the mod to let you see just how much has been added to the word. That sucks for me though. That means that every fort in the whole world has like… fifty men all as strong as dragons waiting for me to kill them. But… I'm a monk that can freeze time, almost. I've already done this to several bosses in the mod, so I know it's possible even at level one. And me? I'm probably a Level 0, it now exists. Just like with Po.

So, I'm keeping Ralof away from Riverwood because of the third reason. I could just as easily travel with both of them… but the Imperials always rush him, and he and I have to kill them all, including the bandits. And it usually ends with the town turning on us, and then we have to kill everyone, and two children and a chicken hate me by the end of it. And worst part is… I still steal the ingots from Hadvar's uncle.

I openly sighed, wrapping Hadvar's arm into my arms, hugging him close to me. "Oh my… Ralof has discovered my secret. You see… while Hadvar and I were in the waterfall together, we secretly plotted to run away together and plan the destruction of the Stormcloak army…" You know… I'm just going to tell him. I let go of Hadvar's arm, and glared at Ralof. "Actually, it's more like this." I leaned forward, resting my arm on Ralof's shoulder. "In Riverwood there are about ten Imperial soldiers guarding it from a nearby bandit clan that's going to attack it right around the time we show up. If you show up in the town, the Imperials will attack you. And the town joins in, either protecting you, like your sister, or attack you… like Hadvar's uncle. Either the town will be destroyed, and you'll be victorious… or you'll die." I have no idea in this universe. "And I'd rather you just… go to Windhelm and spare the town this decision in the first place. Trust me… I don't want anyone to die… well, there are a few people I'm going to kill." Nazeem. "But the rest of you all… I just want us all to go our separate ways. Once Hadvar leaves for Solitude, I'm going to head over to Riften. If you really need to see me, you can find me there. Eventually."

I might as well just tell everyone my plan. "Ok, everyone. Listen closely. I'm only going to tell you once, so… yeah." I looked over to Hadvar and then back to Ralof, and then to the four extras. "When I go to Riverwood, I'm going to grab a friend. Her name is Recorder so… yeah. The two of us are going to head up to Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieve a stone, a stone that I will give to someone for the very reason of saving our planet from dragons. From there, I will head to Riften to find someone who's lost. From there… well, you won't see me for a while. But you'll be able to contact me by asking a courier to deliver a message to me. Trust me… that douche finds me wherever I go. I think he's a seer too. And now… I have a set of instructions of things to do for both of you once you get to your respective towns." I turned to Hadvar. "Don't let them execute Roggvir. He's essential to my plan." He's not, but still…

I turned to Ralof. "When you go to Windhelm, I need you to visit Aventus Aretino. He'll be the boy living in an abandoned house, ask any guard, they'll tell you where he lives. You'll find him leaning over a pile of bones smashing a liver with a dull rusty knife. When he asks you if you've come to accept his contract, all you need to tell him is that you were sent to tell him that his prayers have been answered, and that by the time he returns to Riften… his request will have been completed." Yup, killing her too. "He can keep the reward. It will be done because it's the right thing to do."

Ralof nodded, feeling like he had an actual mission to complete for me. "Ok, I think I understand. So, I just have to tell the boy that his prayers have been answered and that he can return to Riften, and that when he gets there… it will already be done?"

I nodded. "Yup. That will be enough to make him feel better. He'll seem pretty excited, he might even tell you what he prayed for… and you might feel like judging him… or the person that will answer his prayers, but remember… this world is dark, and sometimes… people suck. And sometimes… those people need to pay for their crimes."

Ralof was starting to back away, but he nodded. "I… I think I understand completely."

"I think you do." That was all that I needed to say.

I turned back to Hadvar. "And I know Roggvir is considered a traitor, but he's an honorable man. Tell the Imperial Captain overlooking his execution that Roggvir's life has been paid for by me. I don't care the cost. He's too important to me, the Seeress. Tell them I can save the world, and his life is my price."

Hadvar nodded quickly. "I understand." He tilted his head to the side, as if confused. "Do you think it will work though?"

I smirked. "If you need to up the ante on my greatness, just say… the Seeress is the Last Dragonborn, destined to free this land from its coming destruction. If they still seem unconvinced, ask them to wait for three days. If they hear a mighty Shout that shakes the very ground they stand upon, calling for the 'Dovahkiin', a call that echoes through everyone's body and soul, then they know I am real, and that I exist, and that I demand Roggvir's life because it's too valuable to waste on a chopped head, especially when he's so important to the survival of this realm."

Hadvar's eyes widened in horror as he processed all that. "Ok, this is very serious then."

I nodded. "More than you know." Well, it wasn't serious, but… every time I go into Solitude, I see that guy get his head cleaved off, and people are… cheering for his death. They even badmouth him as they walked away. It's like being on Facebook and scrolling through hate groups' posts. Even the guard captain agrees that Roggvir's death wasn't necessary, but it wasn't his place to say otherwise. Well, I'm going to be that voice that shuts that shit down. Still killing Grelod the Bitch though. I like to think of this as a give and take thing. I give Roggvir his life back, and I take Grelod's. A life for a life.

Hadvar only nodded. He didn't say anything for or against Roggvir. I wonder if Hadvar was there when Ulfric killed the High King. The game never really exploits Ralof or Hadvar as full characters with backstories other than that they vaguely know each other, lived near or in Riverwood, and both hate each other. They both fight as highly respected officers in their own respected army, and this is why I know that if I unite Ralof and Hadvar, it very well might change the way this war is fought. I'm not waiting for the Graybeards to begin the war summit. I'd rather just get it done here and now, with me as the voice of reason.

I stood there for a few seconds, just trying to figure out what to do next. I have a set plan of what I do every time I start a new game. I go to the pass in the mountain, fight the necromancer, and start looting the cave. I use the enchanter to deconstruct everything magical that I've collected in that time span, and improve my Enchanting skill. I don't know if I can even do that now, honestly. Is there an Enchanting skill? Will I be imprinted with knowledge of how to recreate the enchantment? I know a way to find out… in that cave. The necromancer's robes will be a great start, and the dagger he has sitting around will also pay off. Good starts to my adventure.

I wave goodbye to Ralof. "Safe journeys. The sooner you are away from me, the safer you are." Because loading random encounters on the map and stuff. Maybe. I don't know anymore.

Ralof nodded back. "I will see you soon, I hope." He nodded to Hilde and Grunt. "Come you two. If we hurry, we can make it back to Windhelm in three days' time." A three day journey then? Good to know.

I glanced to Hadvar. "How long until we reach Riverwood?"

He shrugged. "It's just down the hillside. Two hours, tops."

Huh… ok. So, Skyrim's not bigger or something. "So, I'm guessing Whiterun is about a few hours too."

He shrugged. "Maybe four hours." Four hours? I could travel from one point of Ohio and end up in three different states in that time. Ok.. maybe in seven hours, but I remember traveling to Florida once, and it only took a day or two.

"Wait…" I tried to visualize Whiterun from Riverwood. "Cross the river, travel the pathway, and then… it's right there. You can see it from the bank near Riverwood. How is that four hours?"

Hadvar almost laughed. "You really were raised in a tower."

What?

…

I quickly found out what he meant. It seems like time floats a little faster here. I mean… I hope the day is more like ours, but it just seems like time goes by faster here without it actually going faster. Maybe it's just all the walking we did, but when we left the cave, the sun was still high overhead. By the time we climbed down the hill to Riverwood, and were at its gates… the sun was already setting. The town was already dark, and people were heading to the inn to get drunk and pass out.

The town was pretty lively, I'll say that much. Alvor wasn't sitting behind his smithy banging anything. He was just quietly sitting in his chair outside, sipping on some mead while his daughter, Dorthe, was standing at the forge.

"Keep working the heat. You want that metal as hot as possible."

"Yes, daddy." She replied, focusing on the metal sheet she was warming up.

Was… was Alvor making her do all the work? I mean, in the game, she's always asking to work the forge, but she's actually working the forge! That's pretty cool! Unless she's being forced to do his work for him, then it sucks.

I decided to tap Hadvar on the shoulder. "Are there child labor laws in Skyrim?"

Hadvar only smiled at me with curiosity. "What's a child labor law?" Shit.

That's when Alvor stood up from his chair, smiling at Hadvar. "Hadvar! Welcome home! Come up here, boy. Let me see you."

"Uncle Alvor." Hadvar exclaims, jogging up to the smith and wrapping his arms around him, and they man-hugged it out for a few seconds.

Dorthe barely even glanced up from the forge. "Hadvar's here?" She yelled over the roars of the burning coal. She glanced up for a second, showing him a toothy smile hiding behind a soot-covered face before going back to work. "Hadvar, look! Dad's letting me forge my own sword."

Alvor nodded. "It was finally time to let her make one. She's been a patient one, haven't you, squirt?" He bent down and ruffled her hair. He looked back up at Hadvar, nodding to him. He gave Hadvar a quick look up and down, even seeing the burns on his arm. "What happened to you, boy? You look like you had a fight with a volcano and lost."

Hadvar glanced to me and then over to his uncle. "We've had an… interesting day. Mind if we go inside? I'm sure my friend is starving by now."

"You'd be right." I said, trying to smile. "And don't pretend you're not hungry. You'd had just as much as me to eat today: nothing." Except I did get to drink a potion, and that counts as something edible digesting in my belly.

Hadvar could only nod as a reply. He looked back up at his uncle. "Something's happened, uncle. I think we need to talk."

I waved the two men off. "And while you're doing that, I'm heading to the inn. I have my own meeting to attend." Not to mention, I don't need to sit around and listen to Hadvar and Alvor have the same discussion I've listened to a thousand times. Time for a new conversation, one never done before. And then… well… I start my adventure.

As I walked away from the smithy, I looked out to the northern gate of the small town. The Imperial guards from the Deadly Bandits mod were standing by, as if waiting for something. And as I stepped off the steps heading away from Alvor's house, I saw one of the Imperials stumble back, reaching for his left shoulder. I heard a _clink_ at the same time, and heard something smash into the dirt next to me. When I glanced down, I could see an arrow stuck in the dirt. I looked back up to see the heavily-armored Imperial glancing around.

"Soldiers. On guard. There's a sni-" His head suddenly rocked back, his arms going limp. Oh, no. I know that posture. That's the I-got-shot-in-the-head posture. And just like I thought, he fell off his feet, slamming into the ground.

"Shield wall!" Another soldier screamed, and the five armored Imperials all started forming a small formation, placing their shields in front of them, squatting down enough that they were hidden behind their shields. Three battlemages were standing behind them, their hands spread out like they were ready for a fight.

Here we go… some actual action. Only took five chapters to get to it. Ok, Talia… time for you to get your feet wet. Maybe even literally if it becomes too hard to fight. Running and hiding in the river never fail to work for me in this game. And now… I can breathe underwater. Bonus.

"Everyone, get to your houses. We've got this." One of the battlemages screamed.

Hadvar heard the commotion, and came running out. "What's going on?"

"Bandits." I said. "They'll come and attack the town."

He swallowed. "Just like you claimed at the cave."

I shrugged. "Um… _Seeress_. It's what I do."

He unsheathed his sword. "Well, they'll have to go through me first."

I pushed him back. "Oh, no, no, no. I've got this, for once. And they've got this." I pointed to the Imperial soldiers. "I need you to stay safe so that General Tullius does not go all crazy and continue fighting this war against the Stormcloaks. Besides…" I cracked my knuckles. "I'm not some damsel… I'm a fighter, first and foremost. And I've been waiting to crack at least one head since I got here…" I didn't expect to unite the two factions I usually end up fighting. And the bear is dead, the spiders vanquished. And I know I skipped over how the small walk over here was, but… the three wolves didn't attack us. I even waited for them at the usual spot. There were up there, I know they were. I heard a whimper, but then I remembered… I have _realistic wildlife_ installed. Wolves tend to flee from you. Well, that saves me a lot of fights in the future. At least deer won't flee from me immediately. Saves me time when hunting for food.

It was time for Talia to prove herself. I deserve to be in this world. I'm not a farmer, I'm not a smith. I'm not an anything right now. But, I've spent most of my life training to do stuff like this. I've studied weapon forms, martial forms, archery, gun shooting. I served in a military. I'm good at this. I _should_ be good at this. I'm going to walk up to those bandits, smack them around a bit, mock their mothers, pull down their pants, and just… publicly shame them into admitting that they were beaten by an Argonian girl.

I started to walk over to the Imperials, but one of the battlemages spotted me. "Miss, return to your home. Bandits are raiding."

I nodded. "I know. I'm here to help."

I guess I said the wrong thing. "She's with them!"

The two battlemages brought their hands up, already warming up two Fireballs to launch at me. I quickly held up my hands. "Wait! I'm here to help you!"

Too late. Fireballs were racing after me, and I was quick to jump/roll/dodge, the incoming explosions. I felt the ground underneath me quake as I managed to survive the first volley. I could feel the heat on my robes, and I hoped that they were enchanted to not catch on fire. "Stand down!" I screamed as I rolled away from another incoming missile. "I'm a friendly!"

Hadvar raced out of his house, looking at me as fire exploded all around me. "What's going on?" He asks as a Fireball lands near me. I didn't have time to react, or roll away. I stumbled back, tripping on my own foot. I fell on my back as the Fireball landed in front of me. The explosion actually lifted me up and tossed me down the road like a ragdoll. Wow… ragdoll features. Huh… go figure. You know what I could use right now… a staff. Not a magical staff, but a practical one. Too bad I haven't had the chance to get one yet.

Ok… so I have spells. Oakflesh… don't know how to do that yet. Healing… might need it. Flames, Sparks… that won't hit at this range. Fury… yeah, like I need them angrier. Why didn't I choose Calm? Because I like assassinating people by making them fight someone else to the death.

"Incoming!" The Shield wall Imperials shouted. And I heard the screaming as bandits came charging over the bridge. Fire arrows were flying overhead. _Shite._

I watched as the flaming arrows landed on the buildings all throughout the town. And with the houses topped with straw and stuff… the roofs went up quickly. Really quickly. Inhumanly quickly. That's when I saw it… an arrow landing on a building, a small bottle tapped to it. A bottle filled with oil. When the fire spread enough the bottle exploded, raining oily fire down onto the roof. Oh… that's how they're doing it. Man… they're smart!

Oh wait… I can't wait for that. The town was quickly catching on fire, and I was just standing here… waiting for some kind of intervention of some kind. The Shield wall was quick to receive the brunt of the invading bandits. Oh, _shite_ … I just realized something… this is how Fable starts! Well, not the shield wall of Imperials, but burning buildings and bandits raiding a town.

The wall of Imperials were ready for the first wave though. "Ready!" The Wall leader screamed. "Thrust!" The line took their spears and thrusted them through the thin opening of the shields. "Pull." They brought their spears back. "Push!" They did that shield bash move that I always dismiss because it consumes stamina and I never really use a shield anyway… not when I can use another spell, a fist, or another sword. Speaking of that…I hear screaming behind me.

I turned my head, which I could only do because the battlemages were no longer concerned with me. They were busy holding off the horde of bandits. And behind me was a few more bandits. They looked like they were low-level. Wearing hide armor and stuff. Ok… Talia… time to figure this out. Don't worry about spells, just… just do what comes naturally.

I picked myself up, and screamed as I charged the bandits rushing the southern part of the gate. I wanted Hadvar to join me, but he was helping his family evacuate their burning building. I think he realized it was an oil fire… and throwing water on that… bad idea. Very bad idea. It was up to me to make sure his family was safe. I'm not adopting Dorthe when she can have her own parents watching over her.

The first bandit was more than happy to charge me, a sick grin on his face as he did so. He was carrying an iron sword, by the looks of it. I will be so happy to take that from him once he's dead. He was barely at swinging range, and was preparing his overhead slash, when I stuck my hand out and blasted him in the face with a wad of lightning. And it did its job. It confused him, or… could I say that it… shocked him? Huh?

(cough)

Fine.

It did its job, making him flinch, and his slash faltered. I pushed into him, throwing my palm out. Time to see if this works. My punch landed on him and it sent him… soaring. He was lifted off his feet and he felt into his fellow bandit. And the best thing is… that felt good. My punches are amazing. Yup… I'm such a monk in this world.

Feeling better about my chances, I brought my fists up, smiling. "Bring it, bitches."

The stunned bandit was rubbing his chest. "That… that felt unnormal." He said to his friend. "Be wary of her… she's stronger than she looks."

"She's dressed like a mage." The other reported. "Could be a spell. _Ogre's Strength_ , perhaps?"

The other bandit shrugged. "Maybe. Should we take her alive?"

"As if you'll get the chance!" I heard above me. And it sounded like Lydia. I was so shocked by hearing her here that I actually took my eyes off the bandits to look up at the roof of a burning building. And there… standing on top of the roof was…

Not Lydia. It was a Khajiit woman, dressed in ordinary clothes. Two Daedric daggers hung off her belt. Oh… it's her. Karenthia… the Assassin. She looked down at the two bandits. "Pray for mercy from…" She drew her two daggers, jumping off the roof, and I used my _Peace of Mind_ to slow time down, just because I want to enjoy this. She slowly fell to the ground, curling her legs in as she fell, preparing her two daggers in a backhand hold, her face stretched out in a permanent snarl. I calmly walked around, watching from various angles as she slowly descended down on the top of the two bandits, and I watched as the bandits barely had time to even bring up their swords. Before she even landed on them, she suddenly turned invisible, and I knew that she had that spell on her, but it was still surprising to see.

So, I watched in slow motion as the two bandits waited for the inevitable. I watched for like… a minute in my time as they watched nothing, their swords pointing up at the sky. And then… a sword was suddenly moving away, and then the other guy's sword. She's coming! I watched with anticipation for the next few seconds, turning to thirty, and then… it happened. Their heads suddenly had lines drawing in them, blood welling up, shooting out like it was in outer space with how slow it was flowing out. It was amazing to watch. And then… time resumed. The bandits were suddenly hitting the ground, and Karenthia was appearing out of nowhere, pulling her two daggers out of their heads.

She looked at me, smiling, even winking to me. "Shall we shed blood together?"

I smiled back. "The family that kills together… something, something, together." I couldn't remember the joke.

"What is going on out here?" Recorder suddenly busted through the inn door. "What?" She checked a small parchment in her hand. "This isn't in my records!" She looked up at the flaming inn. "Holy sweetroll!" She ran out of the inn. "No wonder it's getting hot in there. Everyone, get out here! The inn's burning down!"

And that's when everyone started running out of the inn. And the last to come through was Delphine. She was wearing her standard blue dress, her hair still tied up in her bun. "Orgnar! Mind the people. Lead them to safety. I'm staying here."

The tall buff Nord nodded. And with my mod installed, Delphine was small compared to him. Breton females are the smallest of any size, even Wood Elf men. She almost came up to his chest, while I would be at his neck. "If you say so." The buff Nord that made her look like a child replied. "Come everyone. Follow me."

The inn was burning right behind her, and still, she looked cool, composed. She was rolling her shoulders, twisting herself as she stretched. The Shield wall was holding, so…I don't know what was even going on anymore.

"Strange miss." Delphine looked over to Recorder. "You are a fighter. Watch Orgnar for me?"

She nodded. "Right, of course!" She smiled through her teeth. "You can count on me… I guess."

"Ok… time to do my job." I heard a deep voice call out.

"Shield wall…" The Imperial Captain sounded worried. "Hold steady!"

And that's when it happened. The Shield Wall exploded. I mean… dirt flying up, people flying through the air. And on the other side of the gate, a behemoth of a Nord bandit dressed in plate armor. The bandit laughed at the remaining Imperial soldiers thrusted their spears at him, which he took without even flinching. "Think that will stop me?" He asked, pushing himself forward, swinging with his greathammer. The soldiers were thrown across the town like I was earlier with the fireball. "I'm a Juggernaut, bitch!"

"Hey!" I screamed to the Juggernaut. "I'm the only one that makes cheap references around here!" Except for Deadpool, but I don't have him on my team yet. I think he's in Whiterun. I brought my fists up. "I'll kick your ass!" I've done it before on the first level… using my freeze time like… a thousand times and punching the crap out of him with my Monk fist.

I screamed as I ran over to the bandits that were now rushing through the northern gate. Karenthia was right behind me, and Delphine was getting herself ready for her first fight, against what looked like one of the Assassin-classed bandits. He came up to her, slashing with his dagger.

"Bad form." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disappointment as she pivoted away from his first slash, and then snatched his arm, snapping it three or four… maybe six times before taking his dagger from his lifeless arm. She quickly slapped him in the face a few times with the dagger before pulling a Joker from the Dark Knight… and… put a smile on his face. She turned to face the Juggernaut as six other bandits formed around her. The Imperial battlemages were still sniping down the archers on the other side, using their Wards as a shield as they deflected arrows and stuff. I didn't know Wards could do that! I'm sure they can't! I've tried! The rules here are different! And I love that!

I looked at Karenthia. "We need to protect her." I said, pointing to Delphine.

"On my honor." She purred as she jumped onto a nearby burning rooftop, racing across it to another rooftop, jumping over to it while doing a midair flip that I was totally not jealous of. Ok, I was.

I started making my way over to where Delphine was, but it was already starting.

"Let's loot her!" One bandit suggested.

"Let's kill her!" Another suggested.

"Let's kill her, and then loot her!" A third one suggested.

"How about we kill her, loot her, and then do unspeakable evil things to her…"

"I have a better plan." Delphine said with an annoyed/lazy tone. She brought her dagger up. "I kill you all. By myself." Before they could contest, Delphine was already on the move, jumping up onto the banister of her inn's patio. She raced across it, hopping a few heads to get to the Juggernaut. She quickly stabbed him in the eyes, blinding him. Enraged, he swung his hammer around. And that hit… everyone around him. The bandits standing in front of him a second ago were now paste on the floor. Delphine looked like a loli on his shoulder with how small she was compared to him. Like Kenpachi Zaraki with Yachiru riding on his shoulder. As he swung away at everyone in front of him, berserk-smashing everything around him, she took the very same dagger she stole and drew a line across his throat. She waited on top of him as she nudged him forward. And as he came crashing down, she walked off his shoulders like it was nothing, touching the ground as he smashed the fallen bandits underneath him.

Karenthia dropped from the inn's roof, falling down on top of the few remaining bandits and quickly stabbed them all until they were all dead.

I smiled as I walked up to Delphine. Not a scratch on her, and she looked bored. "Wow…" I was at a loss for words. "That was…" Try not to fangirl. "cool." Congrats. I walked over to her, taking her hand. "We need to talk."

She looked at me, looking me up and down. "About what?"

"I'm Dragonborn."

Her eyes hardened. "Meet me inside."

Well… let's get that started.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Next chapter... I have no idea!


	6. A Chat with Delphine

**Ceabhail** :

So... soon, there will be a new chapter for Mythical Ballista... so look forward to that soon. I'm going to try to change the tone of that story, make it more lively. I've been keeping it pretty bland because it's still all about Ahmbra coming out of her shell and recovering from her abuse... and soon, she'll begin being happier and livelier. So... that will come about in about a chapter or two. This chapter is the start, or at least my attempt at changing its tone. It's hard when i have a certain head setting for Ahmbra as a character. But anyway, ... here we go.

Oh... and warning: this chapter, I rant... a lot... about the Blades. And it might get annoying and eye-rolling bad. I'm not sure, but... I put it in here as a warning. If you are triggered by the Blades in Skyrim... you might hate or enjoy this chapter. Maybe. Not sure. You're warned.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"So… you want to know more about me…" I started to say as I sipped on the cup of tea Delphine prepared for me. I set the atmosphere as best I could, putting on my best Blake mysterious attitude. If RWBY taught me anything, it's that… um… I look super cute in a Ruby cosplay dress. And explosion-launching wrist rockets are awesome.

Delphine was sipping on her own tea, but she gladly put it down to look me in the eye. "Finally, you say something. It feels like I've been waiting for you to tell me about your Dragonborn stuff for a month now." She set her cup of tea down. "So, tell me. Who are you, how do you know who I am, and why do you think I need to know you are a dragonborn?"

I cleared my throat. "My name is Talia. I would like to begin by saying, you're looking for the dragonstone, an artifact that shows where the dragon burial mounds are located throughout Skyrim. The relic is located up inside Bleak Falls Burrow, a local burial crypt place filled with Draugr. And I suspect you're living here to keep an eye on the nearby site in case an event like dragons coming to life ever comes to fruition. You would never venture into the crypt on your own, lest it be a Thalmor trap of some kind, and would rather badger a nearby wizard to do the dirty work for you, and which case… he'll pay me to do it for him. And then I'll give it to him, and he'll give it to you. I'm cutting out the middleman here. Just send me to get it. I'll put together a team and go fetch that dragonstone for you." I already have two potential followers here, three if you include that elven archer dude.

Delphine only sighed, leaning on her arms. "You have my… curiosity… So, tell me. How do you know any of this?"

"I'm a seeress, and like I said earlier… Dragonborn. I'm gifted with knowledge that allows me to know things ahead of time, like how there's a skooma den/animal fight club down near Riften."

"Everyone knows that." Delphine responded. "What else do you know?"

I shrugged. "You have a… certain degree of fondness for ancient samurai… I mean… ancient Akaviri artifacts. You're a …. _Cut_ above the rest." I nudged her on the shoulder. "One could say that you're as _sharp_ as a katana…" I nudged her again.

She was not amused. "Please… _cut_ to the chase…" She put some hatred on that pun as she said it.

"Ouch… that _cut_ deep…" I grabbed my chest in fake pain. I cleared my throat. "You're a Blade. I know all about it." Before she could stand up, I held my hands up. "Whoa… totally not your enemy here. I'm kind of like… your idol… no, wait, that's not what I meant. I'm like… totally your savior. I'm Dragonborn. And I can prove it. Once I get the dragonstone, a dragon will attack Whiterun, and when I slay it… I'll absorb its powers into me, and become about to Shout my first Thu'um… Force Push… I mean… huh… I forgot what it's called in English, but it's called _Fus_. And that's when the Graybeards will call me to their mountain, to begin my training as the Last Dragonborn."

Delphine only sighed. "You're asking me to put a lot of this on faith."

"I have one more secret. It might make you happy, might piss you off." I let the dramatic tension fill the room. "I know where Esbern is."

That really set off Delphine. She grabbed onto the table and tossed it halfway across the tavern. "Ok, you…" She reached for a dagger hidden in her sleeve. She was quick as she placed the knife up to my neck. "I've played your game long enough. Esbern is _dead_! Don't mess with my emotions! I should have known the Thalmor would have found me eventually. I should have known they'd send an assassin, but I expected a Khajiit… or a wood elf. That Khajiit girl… the assassin one… and the elven archer… I should have realized. They're here to assist you! Aren't they?" She was screaming as she pressed the dagger closer to my neck.

I won't lie… I pissed my pants a bit. "Um…" This was not how I expected this conversation to go. I thought she'd just say some weird line about me having to prove my story, and then… we'd be best friends as she taught me how to do things the Blades way, and I could teach her some Kendo… as long as kendo and akaviri katana techniques are different. To be honest, in the games… it always looks the same. No one seems to have a different way of using weapons. Even Delphine just swung her sword like everyone else. She didn't show any special deflection techniques or anything else special with those finishing moves. The game did nothing to show us that Delphine was a master sword fighter… especially when she goes down during the first bandit fight in that long bridge fortress.

Wait… I'm getting off track. I'm about to lose my life to a pissed off 50 year-old war veteran. Not the worst way to die in the game, but I'd rather not die at level one… or whatever level I currently am. Are there even any levels? Huh… thoughts for later.

I took a deep breath, letting myself calm down as I thought of a way out of this. "I'm not lying. Esbern _is_ alive, living in Riften,… and I'm _not_ Thalmor. They don't even own Black Marsh. You don't have to believe me yet. You can take me prisoner, force me to go to Bleak Falls Burrow. You and I can fight through the Draugr like it's nothing, and then claim the dragonstone. And then… when we fight the dragon outside Whiterun, you'll see it for yourself. I am Dragonborn, and I am here to help you. With my help… we can restore the Blades. We can build an army capable of saving Skyrim, and most importantly… capable of destroying the Thalmor, once and for all."

I can't wait to take every follower in this world and train them to become a proficient Blade. And then… we'll get rid of the Aldmeri Dominion. If this game lets me anyway. The base game only allows three recruits. I'm hoping this is where the game and real life conflict with each other.

Delphine kept the dagger pressed up to my neck, not even blinking as she looked me dead in the eye. "And why would you care about that?"

Honestly, I don't. But being a Blade is in every Elder Scrolls game I've played. Mind you, I've only played Morrowind and Oblivion before playing Skyrim so… in Morrowind you start off as a Blade initiate. You're working with the Blades, are inducted into their ranks, and then earn your rank as you progress through the game. It's mostly the intelligence gathering part of the Blades, but I loved that part of it. I loved traveling to various people and saying lines like, "I know you work for so and so." And then have them offer me training and recognizing me as a fellow agent. It's amazing! I loved that. I never beat Morrowind, but I had fun playing it, if not for the various factions you could play as. And then there was Oblivion. You're freed by assisting the Blades as they escort the Emperor through the underground tunnels. After you complete that, it's like Morrowind. They send you to another Blade, who knows of the surviving heirs. And the intelligence/espionage aspect is repeated. Find the cult, expose the cult, save the heir. It's so clandestine! And I loved it! You even have the option of joining or not joining. Of course I joined.

I love the Blades. They're so… well, I practice kendo, you know that by now, so it was like being home while playing the game. A little of my life thrown into the Elder Scrolls world. Even though I like being an assassin more. And there was always the element that the Blades were also spies, special forces agents that were always away on recon, trying to find enemies to expose. Oh… it was that romantic lifestyle of a samurai ninja James Bond spy world that I always wanted to be involved in, like the Assassins in Assassins Creed. And yes… I think of all those things whenever I'm playing a Blade. I just wish the games were more creative when utilizing your character as a Blade. Morrowind got pretty close to what I thought it would be like. Oblivion added to that concept by having you infiltrate the Mythic Dawn cult… and then… you got Skyrim. _"Quick, kill that dragon! We're dragon slayers now… because they're the newest feature for the game! Dur…"_ Skyrim at least gave me a stealth mission to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy, and then escort a hidden Blade away from a Thalmor patrol. So… it's not like they don't even consider the possibilities… they just don't go far enough with it! They turned away from it to let you recruit your followers for a small hunting party to help you clear out dragon dens. It's not bad, but… it's not the Blades I fell in love with.

And if I get a say in what the Blades will do in Skyrim… I will have my old Blades returned to me.

"Let's just say, I'm interested in becoming a Blade… but not the type of Blade _you_ bring to the table." I said with a small smile. Let's see what I can accomplish right here, right now.

"Oh, and what kind of Blade do you think I am?" She almost growled at me.

"Well, when I think of a Blade, I think of undercover operative, sneaking into an enemy-controlled city, and using my espionage skills, as well as my honed combat skills, to help do whatever it takes to take the control of the city away from the enemy. Like the Aldmeri Dominion. I like to think that I'll just infiltrate the Imperial City, lowkey like, like a beggar or something, and while I'm in the town for a week or two, just get the layout of the town: see which citizens don't like the Thalmor, find out which ones do… and see how the patrols work, where they like to hang out, where they primarily work, their hours, families… stuff like that. And then start recruiting a small team of maybe two or three people who I know hate the Thalmor, and then we start taking the city back, a bit at a time. And then we slowly start adding more to our ranks, only… they're not Blades, not yet. They're a militia, one that I help train. I make them capable of taking out the weaker Thalmor agents, while my team and I gun for the head honcho, the big boss. We take over the town after a small but very bloody civil war, and then… repeat the process across the rest of Tamriel. My fellow Blades go to other towns, and use the experience I gave them to repeat the process… and just like that, the Blades have grown into an unstoppable spy network of trained espionage assassins. Just like they used to be."

Delphine's face was blank. "Just like they used to be…" She nodded her head. "You have a strange recollection of our past. But… you're not lying… we used to be that. That is… until the Thalmor attacked. They knew us, had been spying on us for years before they acted against us. Agents all around the world were captured, tortured, and killed. More and more of us died by the day until they reached Cloud Ruler Temple… and I'm sure you know what happened next. You seem to know… some ' _facts_ ' about us." She started to draw the dagger away from my throat. "That doesn't answer my question though. What kind of Blade do you think I am?"

There is no way to be nice here, so I won't even bother. "Useless. And here's why, using what I know about your character, and the kind of missions you would give, and what parts of the world you seem fixated on. When I first meet you, not in this world, but in a different one, you're totally clandestine. You are looking for something, and you employ people to do it. Totally a Blade thing, and I love it. I get employed, like I said. Fetch the item, and you tell me I'm pretty cool. Job done, and you want nothing to do with me. I become Dragonborn, you find out, you tell me to meet you here, in this inn, and ask for the 'attic room'. A ploy, and one that works, because you don't have an attic room, and you know it. Anyone that would ask… must have received your letter."

Delphine's face paled as hearing me say that. She totally knows I know how she thinks. Good. That will come in handy now.

"And so… totally a Blade thing to do. More clandestine activities, luring in potential ally or victim to your inn without revealing yourself. At first, I love it, this is what being a Blade is like. And so… you propose we prove my Dragonbornness. You show me the tablet I secured for you, and then we head to Kynesgrove to fight a dragon. We see Alduin, yes… Alduin, resurrecting one, and then… we fight the dragon. We kill it, I absorb its powers… bam! Instant proof, and now… you reveal you are a Blade to me. You say you serve me, all Dragonborns… but only because the Blades are… dragon slayers." Stupidest reveal ever. "And Dragonborns are the ultimate dragon slayers." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I can consume dragon souls, and make myself stronger. You do realize… if the lore is to be believed…" I pointed to myself. "I am a dragon… in mortal form. You know that, right?"

Delphine shrugged. "But it remains the same. You can devour dragon souls."

I nodded. "Yeah, but I'm just as dangerous. Just as deadly. I can Shout and bring down entire villages with the right Shouts. So, I'm not somehow… different from a dragon. And this is where the Blades start to lose it for me. I am given one mission from you, to infiltrate the Aldermi Dominion… only because you think they're the reason for the dragons coming back. I go, I learn of Esbern, and then… you freak out. You tell me to save Esbern, but you're not coming along because… your face would compromise everything… somehow. I still end up fighting and killing everyone coming after him, so it's not like you coming would change anything. So, yeah, I free Esbern and then come back to you. He tells us of Alduin and says we need to find Alduin's Wall. We find it, and you guys make it your base. And this is finally where the Blades lose it for me. Instead of having me recruit agents for purposes of espionage, or foiling the Aldmeri Dominion's plans, or the Stormcloaks… you have me focusing on slaying dragons. And only dragons. I can understand protecting people but… for the sake of nothing else… it's just because Blade kill dragons. And with the Graybeards, you force me to make a choice… to side with them and not kill the one friendly dragon in the game… well, one of two, but you never ask me to kill the second one for no fucking reason whatsoever, or kill the friendliest dragon ever known! And that's bullshite! I don't care if he did whatever he did 4,000 years ago, he's a good fucking dragon now, and you won't even say a fucking word to me unless I kill him. That's the kind of Blade you are. You ask the Blades to become dragonslayers… which would be kind of cool, I guess, but that shouldn't be the end of it! That should just be the beginning! The game has literally no use for the Blades in it.""

Delphine just stood there, wide-eyed. "You have quite the imagination. However, you have given me a timetable of events I should look into. And names, as well as knowledge that the Graybeards are harboring a dragon in their ranks. It would make sense, they have to learn to Shout from something that can also do so."

"Feck." I muttered. I ranted to her again. I have to get better at not telling people more than they should already know.

" You mentioned a Game?" She arched an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Shit. I really have to work on my rants. Everyone will start getting annoyed if I don't stop. "Um… it's what I call my gift… my Sight. I call it a game, because it plays out in my head like a game of chess… or something like that." I smiled. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're still useless. You try to bring the Blades back together, and I loved the concept, but you didn't do anything with it. You treat the whole thing like the Graybeards, only… you like to actually go out and do things, but only if those things are about killing dragons. And yeah… they're bad, but they're not the only thing in the world. You say that you serve the Dragonborn, but if I choose to save one dragon's life, you're instantly my enemy, pouting about how I would choose a dragon over an old man and a cranky woman. If you really served the Dragonborn, you would listen to me, and could resolve the whole issue before it becomes a problem, like leaving the Blades entirely…"

I shook my head. I'm telling her _way_ too much about the game world. And she was just standing there, taking it all in. "So, what you're getting at, is that I'm too… focused on killing dragons?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's about the sum of it."

She brought the dagger away from my neck, almost smiling as she leaned back. "Wow…" She sighed as she stood up. "Well, I'm going to get dressed."

"Dressed?" I asked as she walked over to her bedroom, the one that has the closet that opens up to her hidden basement.

She nodded. "You know one thing for certain… the Blades did start out as dragon slayers, and I _would_ use that as a means to train potential Blades. And once we had a sizable force… I would begin operations to begin expelling the Aldmeri Dominion. So, I can't say that you're Dragonborn, or that you're even a seeress, but… you might also be a spy, and that is why I'm going with you. If you're with me, you can't tell anyone about me, not without me knowing about it. So, we'll go to Bleak Fall Burrow, and we'll get that dragonstone. And then… we'll head to Whiterun, fight that dragon you were telling me about. And then we'll see if you really are Dragonborn. IF you are, congrats… I won't kill you. And if you aren't, just redact my previous statement to where I said I wouldn't kill you. There will be one condition though. I get to choose who comes with us. Not the other way around." She glared at me.

Um… does Delphine even have friends? Or…

I shrugged. "This… this is new. New content. I'm liking this!"

She snorted as she exited the room. "Your excitement won't last, I'm sure."

But still… she has a team. That means… there might be more Blades. And if I'm lucky, I'll get to become one. A spy… living in Skyrim, operating under the pretenses of quelling the Aldmeri Dominion's advances into Skyrim… or Talia… the Black Rose, quietly working alongside the Imperial Army, sabotaging Stormcloak efforts, all while investigating dragons inside Skyrim, making ninja handsigns to teleport away in a cloud of smoke, making nearby Imperials wonder if I'm truly on their side… and not spying on them in return… dun, dun, dun! Plot Twist…

And I sat there, wondering just how glamourous it would be to be a Blade, like a legit secret agent for the government, conducting reconnaissance operations on suspected enemies. Like an Assassin from Assassins Creed, or the Jedi Sentinel from KotOR, First thing was first though… I need to beef up. And I don't mean that I need to do any log lifts, but… my spell arsenal is pretty limited. I know the basic spells: Shock, Flames, Healing… Oakskin (still need to figure that one out), and Fury. If I'm going to be a powerhouse mage, monk class, healer type (yeah… no skipping around the fact that I'm all over the place as a character), I need to start somewhere. And if Delphine starts teaching me some of what she knows about sword fighting… then I'll be trading in my fists for a katana, which I have more training with anyway.

While I pondered what I would like to do as a Blade, Delphine walked back up from her bedroom, dressed in her leather armor. She had an Akaviri katana on her belt. She looked over to the bartender, nodding to him. "Orgnar, I'm traveling. Mind the inn while I'm gone."

He nodded. "Got it, Delphine. Safe travels."

She glanced at me, sighing. "I hope so, Orgnar." She walked over to me, resting her hand on her katana. "Well… you. Let's go." She nodded her head.

I stood up, brushing off my mage robes. "Ok, where to first?"

She looked me up and down. "Aren't you a seeress? Don't you know already?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It kind of does its own thing from time to time, and you… having your own team… that I do not know about. Are they Blades too? Are there more than just you and Esbern?"

Delphine only sighed. "Sadly, there are few of us left. There is still one that I know of. Fultheim. But he's… not who we're going to be adding to our team. Besides, I'm still not sure I trust you. No, we'll be seeking out a different person to join our team."

She started heading for the door, and I guess that was my cue to stand up and follow her. "Ok, so… where are we going? How far away are they? Will there be potty breaks? And…" My stomach growled. "When's dinner?" Not to mention… the sun was beginning to set. It was basically bed time. "Shouldn't we start in the morning?"

Delphine only sighed. "Gods, you're annoying."

"You're not the first to say that." I mumbled as I leaned against the wall.

"But, you are right about one thing… it is getting late, but like I said… I don't trust you. I don't want to be here overnight if it means my town is sacked. I mean… just earlier, we were attacked by bandits. My inn was almost burned to the ground. There is still a hole in my ceiling where the wood used to be. And… you were in the middle of it. First time coming to our town, first time it was attacked by bandits… first time… I was targeted. Khajiit assassin just moved in a day or two ago… wonder why. And now… you." She jabbed her finger at me. "Playing the seeress card… like I haven't been played _that one_ before. I'm not an idiot, I know you're lying… but I also know… you're not Thalmor. Maybe. I'm not sure. It's too… perfect. Your knowledge. It's bullshit knowledge, and you explain it away as being a seeress, which is also bullshit, I just don't know how it's bullshit yet. So, I don't trust you, and I won't. Not until you prove me wrong. Prove to me that you are Dragonborn… and then… we'll see how trustworthy you really are. Until then, no questions, no answers… no information. No way for you to run off and betray me."

I smirked. "I mean… you did tell me about Fultheim."

She nodded. "And if he ends up dead… I have my answer, don't I?" She nodded to me. "Now, come on. We have places to be and people to recruit."

I sighed. "The quest is right up there." I opened the door to the inn and pointed to the giant ruin on top of the nearby mountain. "We could climb right up it, spend the night in the tower right outside it, and hit the place first thing in the morning! I don't want to walk around Skyrim when it's right there! Look… we have plenty of potential allies right here in Riverwood. We have Hadvar, an Imperial! And Recorder…"

"Hello!" She waved to us from her table. "Um… ok, bye!" She went back to reading her scroll.

"And we have the Khajiit assassin, Karenthia. She's really cool, I swear. She's top notch Blade material! She'd make a great agent for the Blades. And Faendal… he's… he tries." That's all I can say about him, honestly. He tries. At least he's not Sven… who I accidentally helped once, and then shrugged and used him. And then he died in the first encounter… without my help. Didn't even take a knee, he just went down like a bitch. That shows you who even the side quest wants you to choose. Plus… Sven's an ass.

Delphine only crossed her arms. "The girl known as Record… is a joke."

"But… I'm a strong joke." She informed us from her table.

Delphine rolled her eyes. "Karenthia is a trained Thalmor assassin. Faendal… well… he's… I don't even care if he's not in the Dominion, he's still Faendal." She rubbed her chin. "But Hadvar. He's… reliable. Fine… we'll ask him to join us."

Well, I thought I'd be ditching Hadvar, but once again… here we are. Is he going to be the Lydia of this story or something? The faithful companion of the lackluster Dragonborn goofball? I can't spend too much time on this stuff, I need to find my one true love… the only recruitable companion I actually have feelings for. I need to find… Meeko.

"I do have one request." I said out of the blue as we walked out of the inn completely.

Delphine slumped her shoulders, looking back at me. "Ok… let's hear it. You want me to… what? Induct you into the Blades? Follow you behind some dark alleyway so you can kill me using your necromancer friends or something?"

I shook my head. "No, follow me into a dark creepy cave filled with necromancers."

She nodded. "I figured as much. Ok, I'll bite. Why?"

I waved my hand over my body, showing off my mage clothes. "I'm a Monk… and a mage. You could call me a battlemage if it makes it easier for you. However… my spell list is pretty… abysmal. So, I'd like to go adventure into the cave and see if there are any tomes of magick knowledge there for me to take and study. Also, there's an enchanter table there, and I want to figure that out. And if there are powerful weapons, I want them. Not to mention, actual armor."

Delphine nodded. "This will allow me to assess your combat prowess. Very well, we'll head there and begin immediately. With Hadvar with us, I will feel slightly less… unprotected from any trap you may have prepared."

Well, not exactly the team I wanted to put together, but… I can see this working out well enough. Delphine might not be my favorite person in the game, and after she reaches Sky Haven Temple, she becomes mostly useless, but… I guess I'm stuck with her for a few days. And once I kill a dragon and claim his soul, I'll become Dragonborn, she'll make me a Blade, and then… the fun begins. Or… it becomes dangerous. One of the two.

"Um… I would like to come too." I heard Recorder behind me.

I smiled as I turned around. "You're never leaving my side."

"Yay! I get to help the Dragonborn! This makes my job so much easier." Recorder stated, sliding her scroll behind her back.

Delphine rolled her eyes. "Great… you have the delusional girl convinced you're a Dragonborn. Congrats on that."

I glanced at Recorder, smiling. "Record knows a lot more than you could ever know."

I watched as Recorder glanced away, her smile trying its best to hide the fact that she knew about all of this being a game. "I… don't know what you're talking about."

Of course you do, Recorder, you just don't know that you do. So, now we're a team of three, and if Hadvar joins us, it will make four.

I nodded to Delphine as I ran over to Alvor's house. "I'll grab Hadvar."

"Not without me, you're not." Delphine responded, a little harshly. Man, she does not trust me for anything.

I waited for Delphine by the door to Alvor's. And when we reached it, I opened the door, and gestured her inside.

"It was the size of a house." Hadvar was saying to the little girl, Dorthe.

"Wow, that must have been scary." Dorthe replied back, hiding her mouth behind her hands, her eyes wide with fear or excitement, can't quite tell.

Hadvar nodded. "Oh, it was. But luckily, we had a seeress with us, and she was able to keep us focused on our mission." He glanced at the doorway, seeing me as I walked in, Delphine right behind me. "And that's her. That Argonian was the reason I made it through that nightmare. If it wasn't for her, that dragon would have killed us all, I'm sure."

"Dragon?" Delphine asked as she walked into the room. "So, it's not just a story then. Dragons have returned?"

Hadvar nodded. "Yes, they have. You should see if Jarl Balgruuf can send some additional guards to Riverwood, help defend the town. Once I talk to General Tullius, I'm sure we can send some additional backup."

I pointed to the Imperial soldiers already recovering from the bandit attack. "You already have a Shield Wall faction up here. What else would you need?"

Hadvar glanced at me. "You saw how easily that dragon destroyed Helgen. Five shield knights can't do anything to a dragon… none of us could."

Delphine crossed her arms. "I beg to differ. And that's what I need you for." She walked over to him. "I'm taking this Argonian with me on a mission to reclaim a lost artifact that will help us defend against dragon attacks. I could use the extra help, and she seems to think that you're… capable."

Hadvar glanced at me for a second. "I really should report to General Tullius."

I pressed my palms together and pleaded with him. "Please, Hadvar. One mission, one small mission, and then… you'll already be on your way. It's on the way back to Solitude."

Hadvar sat there, and huffed for a second before standing up. "Shall we get moving? I'd rather be there by moon's highest reach."

"So… midnight?" Recorder scratched the top of her head in confusion.

I nodded. "Yeah… I think that's what he meant." That's a Galavant reference for you. "But before we go, there is one more place I want to go visit." I said to Hadvar. "A pass under the nearby mountain, where a necromancer has sent his camp. Some skeletons, a single necromancer, and one soul gem trap. That's it. It will take maybe one hour, tops."

Hadvar only nodded. "And the reason? Other than the obvious of killing a necromancer."

"There may be some magical items there, weapons, armor, spell tomes. I want to know them, and maybe learn some Enchantment skill while I'm there. This will be the beginning of my journey… here in Skyrim."

Jeez, I wonder how I'll screw this one up.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

So, for any adventures I go on, my parallel character will also go on. So, whatever spells or staffs, or swords, armor, or whatever i come across, She will come across too. That's now I keep this fair and realistic. I"ll still keep in the comedy element, but the equipment I pick up will reflect in this story. Ok?


	7. Just Thrawn in at last moment

**Ceabhail** :

Man, this was a hard one for me. Not because I had to overthink it, but because... Star Wars mods... so many Star Wars mods! I was having too much fun that I got a subscription to SWTOR, and... well... that's why I've been gone. But I'm back, mostly, but I'm still trying my best to play the Star Wars mods... for obvious reasons.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

Jeez, I'm tired. But I can't stop yet. It's late at night, and If I'm totally honest, It was already near my self-imposed bedtime when I strapped the headset on my head. And since the game started around early afternoon, late morning… and it's probably near midnight, I'm guessing I'm running on 18 hours of me running around screaming at things trying to kill me all day.

The night was quiet though. Crickets chirping all around us, slaughterfish hopping in the lake, mosquitoes biting anyone but me… hehe… I love being an Argonian already. Wish I'd chosen to be a Lilmothiit though. Just imagine having to explain why we suddenly exist all the sudden. I totally missed the opportunity to play Kuzu while I'm at it. Oh well, I'm fine the way I am. I just need to get stronger. And I will. Once we enter the cave and find what I'm looking for.

"Are we there yet?" Recorder asked from behind the rest of us. She was breathing heavily. "This is… more exercise than I was planning on having today!"

"Yeah, me too…" I groaned as I slumped against a tree. My legs were shaking from the effort of staying up on my feet. There was a lake nearby. I could just fall inside it and die… or sleep. Or… whatever.

"The cave is just ahead." Hadvar held a lantern to a map of the province. "If what you marked on this map is true, it should be just around the corner. And since we're using a known passage between the mountainous terrain, I think it's just around this curve."

I nodded. "Yeah, but that's not what I'm scared of. This will be a cave with a _necromancer_ …" I've never fought anything like this in real life. And that zombie mod is still installed. That disease is spreading, and if this were real life… and I was a necromancer, I'd be doing whatever I could to embrace that change, make it work to my advantage. Who knows… this cave might be filled with the first outbreak. I don't know what to do with this information. I don't know how screwed this country is… this world is. I'm living in a potential 28 Weeks Later game, or The Last of Us. And… I just need to be stronger. I need to be ready for anything.

"Why are we even doing this if you're scared of the necromancer?" Recorder asked as she slugged her way over to me.

"That cave… is filled with knowledge of magic tomes and stuff. Maybe an enchanted weapon, or some special armor." I replied as I pushed myself off the tree. I started following behind Hadvar as he continued leading us, the only light in the whole woods was the lantern in his hands. I'm not a Khajiit, I don't have night vision, or whatever. Shadows were jumping off the trees, forming monsters I wasn't ready to fight. My fight or flight instinct was on overdrive, and I'm unhappy to say that I was leaning more towards flight than fight.

"Wait…" Recorder held up her hand, calling me to stop. "I know a place, one that is filled with a lot of stuff. A lot of magick tomes and weapons and stuff."

I came to a stop. I tried to not roll my eyes as I shrugged. "The College of Winterhold, that random cave to the east of Helgen filled with battlemages, oh sorry, spellswords, I think, a few other places filled with dark mages (not that I have anything against dark magick), and that's a few that I _know_ about without looking at a map. I know where to go if I want to learn magick, but… it comes with a price. In order for me to gain that knowledge, I have to go through waves of adversaries, and I'm not prepared for the higher-end quests. I'm not ready for waves and waves of necromancers shooting lightning at me. I could barely handle one _bandit_ , and if I can't handle this _one_ necromancer… I don't even know what I will do. There are a lot of places filled with random items. Some are hits and misses. And this one is small enough for me to enjoy a great hit… or mourn a small miss. Just let me hit this one, and we'll see what I start with."

Recorder nodded. "I'm not talking about the College, or the caves filled with dark mages. I know a place filled with dark and light. And a Master of sword fighting, and using magick. I think you'll want to hear about this."

Hadvar turned to look at us. "I'm kind of curious. What are you talking about, Recorder?"

Delphine started walking back over to us, her katana glistened in blood. "The path is clear. The cave is now clear of all hostiles."

Hadvar nodded. "Thanks for taking the front."

Delphine nodded in reply. "Well, our team is exhausted. I'd set up camp but… we're almost to the cave. I say we clear it out and then set up camp."

I was still focusing on Recorder's face. She was debating something in her mind, like she wanted to tell me something, but couldn't figure out how to do it, or if she was allowed to say it. I know Recorder is an agent that keeps track of video game characters, and her mission is to keep my adventures on track, or at least recorded. So… if she wasn't telling me something, it was because it was not from this world.

I crossed my arms. "Recorder, I'm tired, and I want to get this over with. So, if you know something, please let me know."

She glanced away. "While I was in Falkreath a year ago, I met this guy. Merak Bashee. He was busy outside a mountain, moving stones from inside the mountain with his magick, and I commented on it. Not very often you see a Telekinesis spell that powerful. It turns out that he's a powerful mage. He was in the area researching a disturbance in the magick nearby so he thought he'd investigate. Whatever he was looking for was buried under the mountain. So, he hired a bunch of mages to help him unearth the hidden entrance. I was there when they managed to break through the third layer of stone, and they unearthed some… hidden fortress, or temple, he called it. There were glowing stones levitating, and these blocks of glowing magick. It was a fun afternoon helping him investigate, but he told me to leave. He sensed something… dark, dangerous about the temple. He told me he found what he was looking for, and wished me a grand journey. He said… May the Force be with you. Or… something like that."

That sent chills down my spines. "Wait… the Force? Did… did he have weird robes, and a glowing sword?"

She nodded. "Yup. Brown robes, long hood, and his sword did have a glow to it."

Fuck… Jedi. There are Jedi in this world? I have a mod for that? Wait… I do! I totally do!

A smile crept up onto my face. "The Jedi…" I ran over to Recorder, grabbing her by her shoulders, and gave her a great shake. "He's a Jedi! I can't believe it!"

Recorder only smiled. "Oh? You've heard of them?"

I nodded. "Have I? They're… just… pathetic, and amazing at the same time." If there are Jedi… there are lightsabers. I have that mod too, I just don't know how to make one, but the components have to exist in this world. And if there is a Jedi, and a Temple… the Jedi will likely have a lightsaber, as well as the ability to make more. It only makes sense. So, the Temple is near Falkreath? Good to know. I never actually played the mod before. I just made the robes, built a 'magicka saber' and then went to work. I never actually went inside the Temple or used Force powers. This should be fun.

Recorder scratched the top of her head. "You've heard of Jedi. Um… how?"

I looked her in the eye. I might as well tell her, but how can I do it as annoyingly as possible? "Tell me… how's Zelda? Still battling the forces of darkness led by Ganon? What about Master Chief? Have they found a new enemy to fight besides the psychic alien overlord/cyborgs/gods? You know… if this was Fallout 4, I could be wearing Spartan armor right now, and gods I'm happy I at least have the ability to wield a lightsaber and wear Jedi robes if I can't wear Spartan MJOLNIR armor. That Inquisitor better get her shit together otherwise Corypheus might become a god, and then Mr. Pouty Elf will turn traitor on the whole world, reveal his godness, and destroy the world, and remake it into the one he originally destroyed out of spite. Man, I wish we had Pokemon, or should I be more obvious? Nothing is True, everything is permitted." I waved my hand around while saying that, trying to imitate a Jedi mink trick.

I think I broke Recorder. She stood there, wide-eyed, arms slacked, her mouth completely ajar.

Delphine noticed. "Wait… what just happened?" She walked over to me, still looking at Recorder. "You just spouted gibberish and she… she shut up. Can you teach me how to do that?"

I shook my head. "Nope, it's a special talent of mine." I must have overloaded her with my extensive knowledge of other games. I don't think she understands other references though. I don't think I can make a Heroes reference and have her understand the 'save the cheerleader' thing.

I looked over to Delphine. "Ok, so… I have a question to ask." The Jedi Temple wasn't the only mod I had downloaded. Force Sensitives… Chiss… and Admiral Thrawn were all in the game as well. If the Jedi were here… then… _he's_ here too.

I know… I know… but Talia… you never mentioned that before! And you haven't seen any Chiss yet, because there's that one hanging around in Riverwood with Alvor. Yeah… I haven't noticed any Chiss yet, but they're here, I'm sure they are. While they're in the game, I never actually… did the quests. I'm weird. I watched someone fight Thrawn and he got wrecked. I tried once too… and even with my strongest Jedi character… I was wrecked… hard. If Admiral Thrawn is here… shit.

Delphine nodded. "Ok, but for every question I answer, you must answer one of my own. Fair?"

I nodded. "Fair." I cleared my throat. "Do you know anything about Thrawn? A blue dude with red eyes; Chiss race."

She nodded. "Yes. He arrived with settlers from their island on the other side of the world some time ago, about 35 years ago, if I remember correctly. It was right towards the last year or two of the Great War, and his people quickly settled around Cyrodiil, before then, they were just passerby's. Thrawn seemed to be the leader of the people, and at first… there were just a handful of them, and when they came to Cyrodiil, they arrived during a time of war, on both sides. I remember reading the reports from the surviving Blades, that Thrawn's small squad managed to defend themselves from the Imperial Army and the Thalmor alike. In a month's time, he managed to steal three forts from the Thalmor and the Legion, securing the northern front. And I thought… great, a third party fighting for conquest; just like during the Planemold, when that Daedric force tried to take over Tamriel while three forces were fighting over the Imperial throne, but… in a twist, I guess Thrawn joined with the Thalmor, because he sacked a lot of our nearby forts, weakening our forces and exploiting the cracks in our defenses. We lost the Imperial City because of his tactics. He also helped the Thalmor destroy what remained of my order. I managed to survive by the skin of my teeth."

Delphine walked up to me, her eyes wide and fearful. "So, when you said that the _Thalmor_ know that Esbern is alive… when you _said_ that we can _outsmart_ them… _outwit_ them… I think of Thrawn, and I think of what he accomplished with five people… _five_ … Chiss. And now I'm thinking of you… and what you've shown me so far… and I worry. I worry that you're either a trap laid out by Thrawn for me to walk into, or a incompetent nonsense Argonian girl who does not begin to understand what she's willfully walking into. And with an entire army of Chiss around here in Skyrim… you better be ready, because they'll try to kill you if you oppose Thrawn's plans. And I'll kill them right back if need be, just like I killed that woman that infiltrated our town. I don't know what you are… whether you're Dragonborn, some Thalmor agent… or another Thrawn… I don't know, I really don't, but… if there is a small chance you're real, that you're… exactly what you claim you are… then there is a chance that I might live to see my sixties, to see the end of this madness."

Oh boy… this is more than I signed up for. I placed my hands on my hips, tapping my toes on the frozen ground underneath me. "Zombie infection… Chiss… Thrawn… bigger, badder, Alduin… fuck! Why the hell did I think this would be some easy thing? I'll just… save the world! I'm _smart_ , I've done this before, many times before! I haven't completed the main quest in so long that I don't remember the last dungeon all that well. And Dragon Priests still make me want to shit my pants whenever I see one float up to fight me… and now Thrawn?! The smartest tactician from Star Wars? And he's with the Thalmor? Of fucking course he is!" I started shaking my head. I glanced from Delphine over to Recorder. She was still in shock of my previous assault on her knowledge of video games. And then it clicked. "I know what to do." I looked back at Delphine. "It's so simple! It's just like my original plan, only… now it's better. If we're to survive all of this, we need allies, a lot of them."

I wanted to bring all my followers together, form some kind of… militia… like the Blades, only better. Most questline worthy. And now… I know that the Jedi are a thing, and so are Force Sensitives. That means… I'm capable of learning the Force… and some of my allies might be as well. And I know there is one Jedi in this game, for certain. Merak Bashee. If I go to him, he might train me to become a Jedi, and then, I'll bring him with me. He'll likely help us find and kill Thrawn. The zombie threat I can handle as we come up to it, but Thrawn… he's a special kind of threat. He probably was at Helgen, and if he wasn't, he was likely paying attention to the news his scouts were reporting to him.

I glanced over to Recorder. "Hey! Record! Snap out of it!"

Her eyes slowly fluttered back to reality and she glanced at me. "Um… we need to talk, later… if that's ok."

I nodded. "Totes. But right now… I really need to find out if there's anything good in that cave." I'm going to need a lot of spells. So many spells. And a lightsaber, or something along those lines.

The cave was just around the mountain bend, and it looked more or less like I imagined. It was a large opening that spanned into the mountain. "Ok… so… we head through here, and suddenly… we're traveling through the mountain to the other side, right?"

Delphine nodded. "That's how mountain passes work. Mages carved these passages out long ago. And like you said… they get infested with bad uglies from time to time. So, if we head in there, there is a good chance that we'll encounter that necromancer you mentioned. But… I answered your question, now two questions, so I get two questions in return."

I nodded, waving at her to begin. "So, let's hear it. I'm guessing that you'll ask me if I'm really a Dragonborn, or a seeress."

She shook her head. "I know better than to expect a reasonable answer that would alleviate my suspicions, so I'll stick to questions I suspect you'll be candid with."

"Wow… those are bigger words than I normally use." I scratched the feathers on my head. Oh… I have small bumps up there. Awesome. Oh wait… Thrawn's here. Fuck.

Delphine stood around, strumming her chin. "I haven't seen Helgen yet…" She glanced from me to Hadvar. "This dragon that attacked you, you claim it was Alduin. What kind of Shouts did he use while attacking the village?"

Wow… I didn't expect that. "Unrelenting Force to throw people around, some Shout that causes raining meteors, he knows a Shout that resurrects dead dragons, and he'll use the Fire Breath Shout." I nodded. "Those are all the Shouts I remember him having of the top of my head."

Delphine nodded. "Fire Protection amulet should help with the Breath Shout, some Boots of Grounding to keep me from getting tossed around… and a really sharp blade to handle the dragons. Can't stop raining meteors though." She rubbed her chin for a second, thinking of obvious ways to avoid dying from falling meteors. I was curious too.

"I almost died to a meteor. If it wasn't for my Histskin, I would have died, probably."

Hadvar nodded. "Yeah, I remember seeing you take that hit to the head. I thought you were dead for sure. I let Ralof drag you away into the fort… I had more pressing issues at the time."

Delphine glanced over to Hadvar. "Oh, that's right, you were there. Is her knowledge of the dragon's Shouts accurate?"

Hadvar nodded. "Saw most with my own eyes… did not see him resurrect any dragons though."

I shrugged. "We'll see it soon enough, me and Delphine, that is. It's one of his things… it's why dragons are suddenly coming back to life. Alduin, the big bad dragon, is the one bringing them all back." I looked from Hadvar over to Delphine. She still had one question left, and I was beginning to wonder if she'll ask something obvious, or something I can't even answer. I held up a finger. "One question left, Delphine."

She crossed her arms, looking me in the eye. "You've mentioned a lot of things I do not understand: mumbles, rants… a lot of stuff has slipped your lips since I've met you, but one thing has me concerned. A lot of it passes me by… but a few times, you've said something along the lines of zombie apocalypse. Do you mind elaborating on that thought of yours, miss… seeress?"

Oh… yeah. I totally forgot to mention that to anyone else. I cleared my throat. "On top of everything wrong with this world… from Thrawn to Alduin… there is one more threat here… that we have to deal with. Somewhere, in Skyrim, there is a sick person… could be a child, an adult… a dog. Someone, somewhere, has a biological disease, one that mutates the genetics of whomever it touches, and it causes them to mutate into basically zombies. It's highly contagious, and just one swipe from the infected has a…" What did I set it to again? "20 percent chance of becoming ill. It's curable, and it only takes full effect after you die, however… there is a catch. Those who have it… are very hostile, and will attack you, and they carry the disease. If they hit you, or bite you… there's that 20 percent chance of infection again. Carry cure disease potions, always. I plan on it. And I'm like… 50 percent resistant to all diseases, so that's like a 10 percent chance per strike for me… or my math's wrong… I'm not sure."

Delphine nodded. "Thanks for being what I assume is truthful."

I shrugged. "I honestly have no reason to lie about that. Informed populace is a happy, safe, secure, populace." I looked over to Hadvar. "Make sure you mention that to General Tullius when you see him."

Hadvar nodded. "Oh, I will. That is troubling news."

"Well, that's out of the way, and for now, it's probably the second-most critical thing we need to address and face. The first is this cave." I said to the group. "Ok, so… inside, there will be a room, in this room, there will be an explosive rune. I will set the rune off by shooting some lightning at it, and then… two skeletons. From there, there will be a walkway leading down to the necromancer and one skeleton. He'll bring a dead body back to life if he's fast enough, but it will be locked in a cage so… yeah, it won't do much. And I'm counting on that. He'll have a spell for Frostbite and Icicle, or… something Frost long range blast ice stuff. We kill him and that's it. There's only two skeletons past that point, and one petty soul gem that can't even hit you from the angle we'll be attacking it from." I've done this so many times it's been drilled in my head. "Ok, troops? Let's go!"

I rushed into the cave with everyone behind me. Time to do this, time to prove I belong in this world. Time to prove, mostly to myself, that I can survive here if need-be.

I charged into the room, and as I did so, I came up to a sight I never see… or never saw anyway. There were people waiting in the first room. Five… Chiss. They were standing there, watching me enter the room. They had the blue skin, the black hair, and the red glowing eyes. Yup… they were real. And now I feel stupid that I didn't make myself a Echani character. And that's easy to accomplish. Any human, preferably Breton: pale skin, white hair, and light silver eyes. Why do I keep coming back to, 'why am I an Argonian?' Oh well, this is my character, and unless I find a cheat code to fix me entirely… I'm stuck as an Argonian.

I looked at the five Chiss just looking at me. My gang piled in behind me; Delphine was already bringing up her sword. "I knew it! You were luring me into a trap!" She was already bringing her sword over to me, probably preparing to run me through.

I held up my hand. "Whoa! Totally not planned! I swear… I had no idea they were in here." They've never been here before.

One of the Chiss walked over to us. "It's rather late, is it not? Shouldn't you lot be sleeping by now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm kind of tired, but… I heard there was a necromancer roosting here, so I thought we'd go and clear him out… you know… take his possessions, sell them, that kind of thing."

The Chiss nodded. "We heard the same, so we came here to do the same. We already cleared this location, making it safe for venturing."

"And the treasure?" I prodded. I wanted to at least get something out of all this.

"Already claimed and transported back to our nearby storehouse." The Chiss replied.

Fuck.

My shoulders slumped, my tired feet overcame me, and I fell onto my butt. Recorder was right behind me, and we almost crashed into each other on the way down. I settled for resting my back against hers, and we used each other as a prop.

"Well… fuck." I replied.

Delphine didn't relinquish her sword. "So, why do you remain here then?"

The Chiss pointed to the entrance. "It's night time, milady. We were planning on resting here, besides… the Legion is patrolling nearby."

"The Legion is no threat to the Chiss." Hadvar replied, sounding utterly confused.

"Not that legion. The Imperial Chiss Armada. Thrawn's legion is patrolling nearby, and if we travel by night… we're afraid we'll lead them straight to our base without knowing it. At least during the day we can see them just as well as they can see us. But with their Khajiit spies… it's hard to tell at night unless we have the same Khajiits on our side." The Chiss replied.

"Wait… if you're not with Thrawn…" The wheels began turning in my head. They weren't Thrawn's agents… they were his enemies!

The Chiss looked down at me. "We're with the Resistance."

Delphine lowered her sword. "I heard the rumors of the Resistance, but I haven't seen any noticeable actions from the Resistance, so I did not know what to make of it."

"Make of it what you will…" The Chiss replied. "We've been around for 25 years, more or less, and we've been fighting the Armada for a long time now. We try to do as much as we can, but it's hard when your enemy is clever, strong enough to bring down a legion of soldiers on his own, and has the backing of some supernatural power that's gifted him with knowledge beyond competition." The Chiss sighed heavily. "That's why we're raiding this small cave, all in hopes of retrieving something strong enough to challenge Thrawn's army. They're stronger than ever, and they seem to be moving towards a bigger goal. They've been quiet the past few years, just coasting by and quietly controlling the Jarls of Skyrim, and the Dominion in Cyrodiil. But… recently, Thrawn's army has been busy, busier than it's been in the past few years. From what we gather, Thrawn is looking for someone, and we don't know who yet, or why he's looking for them. All we know is that they're powerful."

I wonder who _that_ could be. Best guess… me, but… he's been doing this for a few years now, and that means… he's not after me, probably. Recorder's been here for a while, and she's pretty powerful, and able to teleport from game to game. He might be looking for her way off this planet… or game. I don't know, honestly.

My feet whined at me, and my legs were screaming. My eyes were heavy, and I was just too tired to care at this moment. I just wanted to sleep. I looked up at Delphine and Hadvar. "Um… guys. I don't know about you, but I'm tired, and… a little disappointed at this failure. Tomorrow… if you want, we can head up to the burrow, get that dragonstone, and then… head to Whiterun. Hadvar, you can go to Solitude and tell Gen Tullius about the stuff I've told you: the zombies, Alduin… peace treaty. All of it. Recorder, you're staying with me until the day I die."

"Um…" She glanced up at the ceiling. "Dang… that's a long time."

"Or tomorrow if you don't watch my back." I said with a small chuckle. Man, I'm so tired I'm laughing at the thought that I could die tomorrow. "And after everything's done, and I killed my first dragon… Delphine and I can get down to business and start rebuilding the Blades, but only after we go visit the Jedi Temple. I want to meet Merak Bashee."

"Why wait?" Delphine replied. "I'm curious, and want to meet this man. I say we go tomorrow, do whatever we need to do there, and then head to the burrow. As much as I want to get this started, you still need to get stronger, and since this place is picked clean, I say we go there tomorrow."

"Oh? A Jedi Temple? Here? Think we can tag along?" The Chiss leader who was talking to us attempted at smiling. "A Jedi is a considerable ally to have on your side. And if Thrawn's as strong as our leaders claim he is… we could use as many allies like them as possible."

I looked up at Delphine. "So… what do you think?"

She sighed. "I don't like it, if I'm being honest, but… I think what you were saying earlier is accurate. We need more allies. The Resistance, this… Jedi stuff, if it helps us fix this world, then by all means… let them travel with us. If it's a trap and we're all killed, at least we'll die quickly, and my endless torture on this planet will finally come to an end."

I almost laughed. "I'll drink to that."

Recorder fell over. I almost freaked out, but I heard her snoring. Oh…

Yeah…

I'm pretty hungry, but that can wait. It's been a long day, and I'm finally ready for it to end.

"Should we put someone on watch?" I asked as I fell over on my side. I'm too tired, and I don't have a sleeping bag yet. Critical fail on my part.

"We'll set a watch." The Chiss replied.

Delphine groaned, looking over to Hadvar. "Wake me in four hours, and then it's your turn to rest."

Hadvar nodded. "Yes, I understand. See you at four."

Well, at least I get to sleep. I'll start getting more serious about living here starting tomorrow. First thing's first… get some gold, buy a traveling pack, get a sleeping bag, some basic supplies, and eat _something_!

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Yeah, so I made myself an Echani character to play the Star Wars mod, got her up to leve 26 in two days, and then went to thrawn... got owned, hard. And tried to get her stronger, but then... something went wrong in the game, some force power glitched that game and it got all fuzzy and it hurt my eyes to continue playing it, so i made a new Echani character, and she's working her way up the ladder. Once i fight Thrawn and see how the game plays out, this story will take a whole new life, but... the Thrawn mod keeps crashing a lot, so it's hard to keep focused on it. I know a lot of the basic lore, and if you don't know it... I won't spoil it immediately, but just playing it has given me a lot of insight about what's going on so... great. We'll see it coming into play next chapter. But first...

...

I will work on the Mythical Ballista and War Mage.


	8. The Temple

**Ceabhail** :

So... yeah. I don't know why I do these intros anymore. I used to talk about the chapter but... people hated that. You know... spoilers and whatnot. I usually put those at the end of the chapter now, so... what to say in the top one? Um... hi. How's your day? Eating properly? Eating enough cake? That's good. Ever watch shows like Re:Zero? You have? Well... you have a lot in common with this story then. Oops...

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"Are we there yet?" My feet were literally dragging in the dirt along the dirt road leading to Falkreath. Surely, we were almost there. Last night was not a good sleeping night. I half expected to wake up in my normal bed, and for all of this to be a bad dream, but… surprise, surprise… still an Argonian. Still covered in scales, and I was wrapped up in Recorder's arms as we used each other as a blanket. Not a bad way to wake up though. From there it was a small breakfast of hastily cooked rabbit with potato stew. Also not bad. From there… it gets pretty bad. So… here's how it started.

We left the cave and began our journey to Falkreath. It's not too far away, only six hours or something like that. Ok… I can deal with that. I walked for longer while I was in the army, not a big deal. We ran into several wolves along the way. I had some meager skills with my Flames so I used them to burn everything alive, and that was pretty cool. And I'm happy that I was able to do so. I was starting to feel like I was not going to survive this whole world if I couldn't do anything to help. My comrades were more than I was though. The Chiss were like their own armies, just with one of them. They moved so quickly, so decisively, that when bandits attacked us just a few minutes later, I didn't really even have time to warm up my fists.

We stopped for a small lunch right outside that bandit trap right outside of Falkreath. We hunted an elk, and then we cooked it. That took an hour or two, not really sure anymore. As we were cooking our elk, it lured in more wolves, a whole pack this time. There were too many of them for me not to be engaged. Two wolves charged right for me, and I could only use Flames on one of them, and the other one charged me from behind. Have you ever been tackled by 90 pounds of snapping teeth? I sure haven't before today. That little shit stain clamped down on my left shoulder, and well… my Histskin activated, saving my life, I think. I would have stood up and killed the fluff ball of death, but I heard a whine from the wolf and then… a whole lot of blood on my back.

The wolf was shoved off me, and when I turned around to thank whoever did it… there was no one there to thank. Until a second later when Karenthia just happened to pop out of her Invisibility bubble.

She bowed to me. "I'm sorry but… I followed you." She lowered her arm for me to take.

I nodded as I took her arm. "Yeah… I'm totally okay with that." Another friend. Yay.

And from there, I started shedding scales again. As we finished cooking our elk and before we started eating, my scales started peeling off like they did yesterday, and that means… no Histskin to save my hide this time if some bandit gets their hands on me. And as we sat there, waiting for the meat to finish cooking, I saw Hadvar pulling out a small scroll. He seemed to be tapping on it, but maybe he's just tracing his fingers over a report of some kind.

I finally walked over to him, because he'd been spending a while with his face stuck inside the scroll, giving it a look like he was trying his best to figure it out or something, and if I can help with something, you know I'll be all over it.

So, I walked up, and I could see his scroll. It had his body virtually imprinted on it, and… it had a health bar, stats, and stuff. And his level! I almost passed out from seeing it. And I couldn't help but point it out. "You're level 15?" I pointed to the scroll.

He turned to look at me. "Yeah. What level are you?"

I was stuck there, my face and mind exploding. "Wait…" I shook my head. "Wait… levels are a _thing_?"

Hadvar, and everyone around me, all started looking at me like I was a moron. "Wait… you don't have your scroll, do you?" He looked completely shocked. "I haven't seen you check one since I met you… did you lose it?"

I shook my head. "I don't even know what that is."

Everyone looked shocked, all except Recorder. "Um… I can explain it." She walked over to me, grabbing me by the arm, and dragged me away. "I'll tell her all about it, okay?" She waved goodbye to everyone as she took me to an empty part of the woods. She pulled out a small crystal, one that formed into a virtual map. "Ok… everything seems clear. So…" She looked up at me. "You're not from Skyrim, are you?"

I nodded. It's about time we had this conversation. "Yeah. I'm from the real world."

She glanced at me. "Which world is the real world? Are you from Zelda? Halo? Assassin's Creed? Fable?"

I shook my head. "In my world… those are video games, something we play to experience another world. It's kind of like what your people do, only… we never go into the world like this." I waved my hands over my Argonian body. "We normally take control of a person, kind of, and we use them to go on adventures and whatnot. It's our job to make sure they complete their mission and live to tell about it. The only thing is… we don't replace them, we just control them with a magical controller device. I'm here… _physically_ though, which _never_ happens. And if I die… I die in my world too, I'm guessing. I'm the first person to ever do this, I think." Unless you count the numerous anime that cover this exact scenario.

She tapped her chin. "Okay, I think I can understand that, somewhat. Your people sound like massive pricks though, taking control of living souls to command as you see fit."

I shrugged. "Where I'm from… none of this is real. And our control is really limited too. But, from our perspective, if this was a living, thriving world, if we did take control of one of these inhabitants of this world, we could take a lone farmer and turn them into a grand hero, one that can take on Alduin and get rid of him. Every Elder Scrolls game that I have played, the hero starts off as a low-level nothing prisoner who has their whole life ahead of them. I'm happy that I was able to help destroy the Mythic Dawn, kill Mannimarco, and defeat Mehrunes Dagon. I was happy to defeat Alduin, kill the First Dragonborn, and make Skyrim great again with General Tullius. And so… yeah. We do more good than bad, I'm sure."

Recorder opened up her scroll. "Day 25, the illustrious assassin I've been following has pushed more than 60 civilians into the water for no reason I can detect at all." She looked over to me. "If your people are anything like this… I can safely say they're massive pricks."

"That's just one example though."

Recorder cleared her throat. That's never a good sign. "Day 1, a brand new adventure for me! Yay! I'm going to be following the Hero in Albion, and watch his progress as he grows into a responsible young adult. The previous recorder sent to watch over the boy has suddenly gone quiet, and so… here I am! Wait… this is Oakvale… he should be here. Oh my… there's so much blood! It's everywhere! Is that him? The Hero? Why does he have red glowing eyes and sharp horns. Why is he killing all the guards? Why is he killing the civilians? Wait… is he buying the houses? He did all this… just to buy houses?"

Oh… I did that. That was me.

I looked Recorder in the eye. "I can explain that."

"That was you?!" She screamed. "You killed all those people, and for what?"

"Rent every three days." I replied. Recorder looked mortified. "What? It costs a lot to pay off mercenaries to follow you around and do all the work for you while you watch them kill trolls."

She shook her head, walking away. "I can't believe this. You're the reason I'm so crazy! You're the reason I go bloodlusty whenever I enter combat. Because of crap I was forced to witness at the hands of people like you!" She shoved her finger at me. "And your excuse? Profit?"

I shrugged. "I was young." I'd still do it again though. It's fun watching civilians and mercenaries charge at the enemies and fight them. I have a head-canon where anyone that survives, I turn into Heroes just like my character.

She was even more appalled. "They let _children_ play with people's fate?"

I shrugged again. "It's _mostly_ kids that play video games, I think."

Recorder stumbled off her feet, falling onto her butt. "That explains so much. I feel like I've slowly been going crazy watching famous heroes doing stupid stuff, and all this time, it was body snatchers doing whatever they pleased in bodies that weren't theirs."

I nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up. I'm considerate, most of the time. When I play Battlefront or Halo, I try my best to keep my fellow soldiers alive, even at the cost of my own life."

"You mean the person you're controlling." She shook her head.

I half-shrugged at that. "I rarely ever die though. I once got 70 kills on Battlefront without losing my Jet Trooper, so…I like to think that I'm good at keeping my hosts alive. And I managed to keep 147 of our starting 200 fellow soldiers alive." Man, I sound like a sick monster. I should get away from this topic. "Anyway, so… you know the truth about me. I'm not from around here, and I shouldn't be here. This Argonian should be here, acting lifeless except when I move her. You should see text boxes showing up, and you should be answering in preprogramed responses that I've heard a thousand times over. But… I'm here, you're acting like a real person, which makes sense if you're real. And now… please tell me about the scrolls. What are they, and how to they work?"

Recorder reached into her pocket, pulling out a scroll just like Hadvar's. "It's called a Personal Scroll, everyone has one, recorded for them from birth. It tracks your age, your inventory, your health, magic, stamina, your assigned skill levels, points, perks, magic affecting your body, as well as other things like diseases. You can use the scrolls to add perk points to your skills once you grow stronger in them. It's how we keep track of strong individuals in the world, for things like quest work. Some dungeons you will be recommended to stay out of until you reach the appropriate skill level. They started doing this in the early Third Era, I think. At least that's what my boss told me."

Okay… so it's the stuff I would use while playing Skyrim to keep track off all the information I would need if I wanted to kick ass someday. "That's awesome. How do I get one?"

She shrugged. "Mine was created for me before I ever set foot in Skyrim. You… I don't know, but until you get one… I guess you're stuck at level one. What will the _body snatcher_ do if she can't even beat a wolf?"

I crossed my arms. "Okay, let's get real for a second. I may be a terrible person in some games, or in general from your point of view for my ability and willingness to take over people's bodies and make them do what I want, which is usually make them be decent people to everyone around them, but I'm the Dragonborn, and I have saved this world a few hundred times, all while not doing things like killing random civilians, just thousands of bandits. I'm the only one you're going to get in this specific world, and I _will_ save this world if I am able. If I die, Alduin, Thrawn, and Miraak all win. Do you want that?"

Recorder glanced at me. "If you lose, I leave. It's that simple."

"We owe it to these people to help them. After all, if it wasn't for people like us… they wouldn't be in this kind of trouble anyway." I almost wanted to scream at her. She hit me in a place I thought I didn't have. Guilt over playing a video game. I never thought playing Pokemon would have wrecked my life, or playing Super Smash Bros, but… here we are. I'm a monster for capturing small creatures and making them fight to the death, or inhabiting Link and making him brutally murder Zelda. Damn… now that I think about it… I really am an apathetic monster, aren't I? But then… wouldn't everyone who ever played a video game that featured a main character that you actively control be a morally sadistic person too?

I shook the thought away. "Look, I get what you're getting at, but in my world… it's all make believe. It's supposed to be fake, not real. Code, glitches, and stuff. Like the Jedi. Do you honestly think they're supposed to be here in Skyrim? Or you, for that matter? Those are just mods, little things we add to the game to make it more bearable for us whenever we get bored of the same routine that we run into, over, and over, and over again. The same tired script, the same quests, the same enemies, the same story. At least with some games, there are multiple endings, but not Skyrim, just… multiple storylines that you can enjoy with near endless radiant quests that you can do and get paid 100 gold upon completion."

Recorder looked furious. "Are you saying I'm not real? That I'm… one of these mods?"

Shit, Talia… you fucking did it again. "Let's change that subject." I started to walk back to the others. "We need to find that Jedi Temple, or else… bad things might happen. To me, to you… to them." I pointed to the NPCs just sitting around the campfire, already preparing to eat the elk that was finally cooked. "And I'm hungry. So, Recorder, now that you know everything there is to know about me, what will you do? Are you planning on staying with me? Do you plan to watch from a distance? Do you even care about your assignment anymore?"

I turned to look at her, and when I did, I found her just standing there, almost lifeless. "Everything I thought I knew…" She made an explosion hand gesture above her head. "Poof, gone." She sighed. "All this time… we've been watching people like you."

"I seriously thought you already knew we existed. Sorry." I seriously thought that she mentioned knowing about us controlling player characters. "You always were my favorite companion, and Inigo of course." I chuckled. "Having the two of you along made the game so much more bearable."

Recorder glanced away. "You'd think that you actually know me."

"I know you're missing four or five records, and you need help finding them, otherwise… what's her name … well, I forget her name, but you say that your mentor will tan your hide unless you recover them. And I know almost exactly where all four of those records are."

She glanced back at me, her arms crossed, and her cheeks still red from her anger at me. She glanced away, sighing. "Fine. I'll stay around for a while longer. In exchange, you'll help me find my records."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "You'll see, Recorder. I'm not a bad person. It's just that this situation makes me look like one." I'm sure she'll understand, given time. "Now, let's get back to the group. I'm starving, my feet hurt, and we're still standing up."

After that, the two of us went back to the campfire, and we grabbed ourselves some food. We ate in silence before heading out again. I was happy for the rest that I was able to get, and a full belly to boot. Within a few minutes, all that progress I thought I was making vanished. My feet were back to aching, and I was unable to keep myself up on my feet. And that's what's led us back to the present.

Now that you're caught up with my newest exploits of Walking, the Simulator, we finally managed to make it all the way to Falkreath. The sun was well overhead of us by now, so I'm guessing it was noonish, and that would make sense since we just got done eating food about ten-twenty minutes ago.

"Ok… so, Recorder. Where is this temple you mentioned?" I asked as we came up to the road leading to Falkreath.

She pointed right behind me. "Right there."

I snapped my head around, surprised that there was a hole in the side of the mountain. I looked over my shoulder, seeing the massive wooden gate entrance to Falkreath. I could almost see the guards standing at the gateway, watching us.

"Wow… that's really close." Must have been for convenience for travel. Smart thinking, modder. I would have put it in the most secluded place in Skyrim to justify it's existence as a collective secret, but… I'm glad I'm not walking up a mountain to find this place.

"Ok, so… once we go into here, we'll be going into something I never thought I'd walk into. I have no knowledge about this place at all." I looked over to Delphine, and then over to Recorder. "So, everyone, keep their heads on a swivel, and don't slash at anything you see unless you know it's hostile."

Ok, Talia… you're walking into the Force Temple, that one thing that you did once, enjoyed, and then never did again, because you never needed to go back.

I let myself calm down before I walked into the cave. I'm about to meet a Jedi, a real life… Jedi. The biggest pricks since me, I guess. The entrance was just on the other side, after a small stretch of rock tunnels. You can tell why it took a while for a Jedi Master to clear all this rubble away. It would have taken years for miners to get this far, and this guy cleared it all in less than a month? Impressive.

The entrance was just like I remembered it, green-fire torch-stands were periodically placed, just enough that I could see where I was going. Delphine was right behind me, the full squad of Chiss behind me, and Recorder of course. Karenthia and Hadvar were rounding the back of the formation, and it's at this time, that I knew I had too many people adventuring with me. I like having a squad, but… nine of us? That's two squads.

"So, you know about the Jedi." Delphine said as she walked up. "What are they?"

"You'd call them mages." I replied. "They use a magick they call the Force. It's like a life force that surrounds us, penetrates us, is within us, outside of us, made in the whole universe. So, it's like Magnus, and the magick of this world. They use these swords that use crystal resonance to form into controllable beams that can cut through most metals, excluding metals like beskar'gam and whatnot. Which beskar'gam , I always summed up to orichalcum made by an Orc, so… they're like the Mandalorians who live by the warrior code. My brother and I had a fondness of Mandalorians. Growing up martial artists… it's hard not to relate to something that likes to fight a lot. When I learned of the Echani and how… more ritualistic they were to martial arts than Mandalorians, I gravitated more towards them but… I still know the language, more or less, if nothing else. Something I have in common with my bro back home."

Delphine rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the life story, but I wanted intel. What kind of stuff can these Jedi do? And these Mandalorians. Will we be seeing them too?"

I shook my head. "Nope, this is not Fallout 4 so… no. Or Spartans for that matter either." Not unless Recorder, later on, can take me between games as we become Recorder buddies who document the going-ons of other players, but… I'm trying to sequel bait before we even begin this story.

I looked over to Delphine, looking her in the eye. "Their swords, they call them lightsabers, and they can cut through your katana in a single slice, unless it's enchanted… then… I'm not sure, honestly. But, if you spot a Jedi with any dark clothing, a mask, disfigured face, and wielding either a red, or purple sword… they're not Jedi. They're Sith, or also known as Dark Jedi. They're fun to party with, but evil as all hell in most retellings of their exploits. They make it seem like they're so inheritably evil, but I remember Darth Caedus did some awesome stuff during his dark days. But, if you run into any Sith, don't ask questions, don't try to chat with them, go straight for the attack and hope they're too stupid to kill you first." Not the best advice I can come up with.

"They have attacks with their Force." Recorder said, walking up to me. "They can grab you, throw you, jump really high, do awesome flips, shoot lightning, sometimes fire, and they can run really fast."

"Yeah, that's about it. Oh, and the Sith really love choking you to death with their Alteration magick… so… look forward to that."

"Great…" Delphine sighed as she entered the main chamber behind me. I looked around, not seeing anything that I remember. The giant spinning ball that gave me the Balance of the Force… gone. The robot guarding it… I found it. It was lying on the ground, broken apart.

"Got signs of a fight in here." Delphine reported. "Right here." She rubbed her fingers across some marble. "Char marks from some kind of sword… the one made from light, I suppose?" She looked over to me. I shrugged. "More and more of them, almost like a blizzard blasted through here on tornado level." Delphine glanced over to me. "Are Jedi capable of this?"

I shrugged. "Some, maybe, but… from what I gathered, their abilities were more centered around what they can do themselves. Like, use the Force to let them jump higher, swing harder, predict where the next attack will come from, and stuff like that. Sensing energy, manipulating minds, stuff like that. Making a tornado of snow and ice?"

I looked around the floor. I could see the scuff marks all around, forming a circular pattern that started around the area where the lightsaber cleaves were showing up.

I looked over to the broken droid. "I hope this thing has something on it." I walked over to the droid, bending down to examine it. It was melted, probably from a lightning blast of some kind. And just like I thought, its eyeball was a recorder.

"Let's see what you recorded." I said as I tapped the droid's head. Nothing happened. Great… nothing so simple then.

"Hey, Recorder." She's been in plenty of games. She knows this logic better than I do. "See if this droid recorded anything?"

"Oh? I think I can fix that." She ran over to me, bending down to examine the droid. "Yup, it's an A series protocol droid, used in the times of… well, it's classified. Anyway, here we go. And… let's see what you were recording."

I could see the Jedi Master kneeling to what should have been the Grand Holocron or something like that. He was meditating, no doubt. And he stayed like that for a few seconds before his eyes snapped open. He looked over his shoulder. "You… I never thought…"

There was a loud popping sound as the Jedi was suddenly thrown off his feet by what looked like vicious winds, ice shards coming out of everywhere. The droid was lifted off its feet, thrown into a wall nearby where it continued to lay. Merak was doing what he could to push the strong wind off him as he pushed himself up to his feet. Chiss started pouring into the room.

"Check every crook, check every cranny. I want whatever secrets this place has to offer." I heard the soft voice of someone say as they walked into the room. He strolled in casually, his hair perfectly combed, his outfit some kind of ebony armor, a long cape flapping behind him. "Ah, and so we find you, the Jedi Knight, Merak Bashee. I heard you were on this planet, but… I had to see it to believe it."

"Thrawn." Merak growled out as he reached for what looked like Dawnbreaker, only… it was glowing green. "You're not welcome here."

"And yet… here I stand." Thrawn replied. "Do you mind if you and I share a spot of tea. The trip here was… dreadfully long. And while we have our tea, we can discuss…" He walked over to the floating round holocron. "this. This seems important, but… I do not fully understand the matters of the Force. I have only just begun my understanding of what the Force can be."

"What you understand is the wrong side of the Force." Merak stated as he swung his sword at Thrawn. Thrawn nimbly dodged the attack, throwing out his palm. There was a bright flash from an exploding Fireball, one that launched Merak across the room. He slammed into the chipped pillar, his sword's edge stuck inside it. With the whirlwind of ice and snow still ongoing, and Thrawn not even showing signs of acknowledging it, I was beginning to crap myself.

"As you can see, I have been studying. So, show me what I wish to know." Thrawn replied as he casually strolled up to Merak.

"That… that was the Dark Side…" Merak was panting as he pulled himself out of the marble. "I'll never teach you. You're a monster."

Thrawn sighed. "And here I was hoping we could be civil. Oh well. You are not my real target anyway. She's on her way, I'm sure of it." Thrawn walked over to Merak, dodging his lazy thrust attack, snatching his sword, breaking his arm, and then palming him in the face. Merak crashed on the ground, where Thrawn placed his boot on his face. "She will come for you, I have already been assured of it. The Dragonborn will come to help you… it's in her best interest."

I was really shitting my pants now. Me? He's after me?

"Sir, we've killed the students, collected these…" He held out a bag full of holocrons.

"Ah, the knowledge of the Jedi. How marvelous. I wonder… are there secrets within these holocrons that we don't know yet?"

Merak, while Thrawn looked away, Merak pulled something from his belt, and slid it over to the droid. He looked over to his droid and his eyes began to glow, and then… I felt something slam me in the face.

I was suddenly standing in a dark place… the same room, only… everyone was gone.

And as I looked around, I couldn't see anyone. "You have come." I heard behind me. I turned around to see a Merak standing right behind me. It was a mental image, like the Psijic monks, of Merak. "He said you would come. I do not know what's brought you to this place, but… you must flee, before you're spotted. The Temple will be watched, and if you wandered in here… chances are, you are going to be captured. I do not have a lot of time, but in this temple, there is a dark sanctum. And in there is a guardian. Thrawn's troops might have killed it, but… in this sanctum is an egg, and I've hidden it using what amount of Force I have left in me. If you can find the egg, take the holocron inside it. I'm trusting you with the deadliest artifact I've ever located. The Darkest secret to ever exist. I call it the Force Hunger… and I've read about it. It's led to the destruction of entire worlds, but… if it helps you defeat Thrawn… I'm entrusting you to find it. Also, underneath the droid… I hid my… well, the locals called it a magicka saber. It's a weapon of immense power. If you raise it up, it will absorb all incoming magicka attacks. Treat it with care, I want it back if you come for me."

And like that, the image started fading away, and I was watching as Merak looked up at Thrawn. "So, you think this Dragonborn will come for me? Do you think she will be so stupid?"

Thrawn smirked. "In fact, I do believe that she will come for you. With that weapon you've hidden by the droid, she should have all the bravado she needs to come to Bleak Falls Burrow. Especially with those ridiculous Resistance fools. My partner has shown me what needs to be done, and I will comply. Oh… and one last thing, Merak. I know about the egg."

A Chiss walked by, holding up a holocron. "Sir, we have slain the dragon guarding the egg. It was exactly where you said it would be."

"Is this it then?" Thrawn picked up the holocron. "The mysterious power that can destroy this world?" He tapped the holocron on the glowing button.

Merak screamed. "NO!" He threw his palm out, launching the holocron out of Thrawn's hands, and throwing Thrawn into the air. I watched as the holocron flew across to the other side of the room. When it hit the ground, a portal ripped open, swallowing the holocron.

Thrawn watched as the holocron disappeared. "Clever." He looked at Merak. He looked over to his followers. "Take him. We'll break him until he tells us where he sent it."

Merak was welcomed to three blasts of lightning from the Chiss guarding Thrawn. The droid began to stand up, but was welcomed to a similar blast. And that's when the hologram of the entire fight ended.

I looked underneath the droid, finding the wooden lightsaber. It was a single wooden shaft with leather wrapped around in that typical katana fashion, and it had a single cyan crystal imbedded in a metal thing shoved into the wooden shaft. It was a pretty basic setup, but… if it works, it works. And there was also a note right underneath the saber.

 _Dragonborn,_

 _I cannot wait to see you._

 _Thrawn._

…

I held the note in my hands, shaking as I fought the urge to vomit. Well… this… wow. My entire body is shaking. I'm scared, for the first time in my life, I understand true terror. Not only did Thrawn know I existed… he wanted me. Why? Why the hell did he want me?

Delphine started screaming orders. "Everyone! Prepare for an ambush."

The Chiss we traveled here with pulled out their weapons, preparing for some form of attack. Karenthia looked around, unsheathing her daggers. Hadvar was preparing his shield. I turned around, bringing up the lightsaber handle. I looked around for a button, found nothing. It was just a wooden shaft with leather wrappings, and a cyan crystal attached to a metal fastening. Ok… so… how does this thing even work? More things I don't instinctively know.

I looked over to Recorder. "How do I work this thing?"

Recorder shrugged. "Not sure. Never used one before." She pulled out her ebony sword. "But… I can't wait to have some fun!"

I fought the Chiss a few times on my playthrough, and being level one… on realistic playthroughs is not recommended… at all.

I looked over to Delphine. "So, this Personal Scroll thing?"

Hadvar looked at me. "You'll have to go up to Solitude and have a scribe draft one up for you, and you'll become a citizen of the Empire."

Ah… loopholes. "Ok then, so… we go to Solitude, get a scroll… and then… will all my progress I've made follow me until I get the scroll or will I have to start fresh?"

Hadvar shrugged. "I'm not sure, honestly."

Well, here's to hoping I'm not Level One, at the moment. At least I have my monk fist. Wait… I have something else too.

I reached into my pocket, the bag that hangs around my backside. Inside it was the one thing I kept other than the Shock spell book. The Monk's Ring. When I wore it in the game, it gave me a serious OP edge that I often used as a starting character for fighting those Deadly Bandits from that mod… Deadly Bandits. Yeah, I knew you would have understood that without saying it twice that, I just really wanted to make that joke. Anyway, this ring increased my health and my stamina, and helped me recover my health at a Wolverine state, which means, I take a hit, my health bar would shoot right back up like that cheat code in Morrowind, if you did it just right. It didn't make me invincible, a single Juggernaut would more often than not get an animation beheading rather that pummel me to one health, and Thrawn did the same to my strongest Echani character on that one attempt I managed, level 26… and wearing the same ring because everything else was gone.

So, this ring would probably keep me safe for right now, as long as I play smart. I slipped the ring on, and I felt a rush of energy go through me, and I felt like I could eat 20 cheeseburgers and not suffer the fate of any rational human person. I turned to face the doorway. "Okay, if we're about to trigger an ambush fight… let's get it started."

I bravely took the front, looking at Karenthia. "Ok, Kar, you take the front. Go invisible, see what you can find, and see if you can do that thing where you cut their head off by pulling an Anakin Vs Count Dooku move Skyrim put in for duel wielders."

Karenthia looked confused. "Wait… you called me Kar. That sounds suspiciously misspelled. How do you spell my name when you say it?"

I shrugged. "Um… KARENTHIA. Why?"

She smirked. "It's spelled Ky'ren-thia." And then she went through the motions of explaining the way it was hyphenated. Huh… the mod must have updated since I started living in Skyrim. Weird. And it followed me here. Also weird. And it's spelled in a way that makes it annoying for me to spell out. Great. Oh well. I can't focus on that right now. I have Chiss to destroy.

I sighed as I walked through the entrance of the Temple back to the outside, heading through the tunnel. If I was Thrawn, and I was smart and stuff, and knew how to come up with impossible-to-accomplish tactics that were designed to seem impossible to everyone else but Thrawn because he's designed to be smarter than anyone else… how would I plan to capture or kill me? An arrow to the knee seemed appropriate. Does he know I'm an Argonian? Does he know I have the ability to heal once a day? Does he know I have Monk training and can slow time and punch stuff really hard? What about my ring of really fast healing? And how does he know I'm Dragonborn when the Graybeards don't even know that yet?

I didn't know what was coming, but I was reaching the end of the tunnel. And soon enough, I'll see what Thrawn has planned for me.

The light of the sun almost blinded my eyes as I exited the Temple, but I refused to close them out of fear of missing that one second I would have to dodge arrows. And as I exited the cave, I took a quick look around. I saw a man dressed in a thick green cloak, standing there, slack-jawed, his arms spread wide like he was bracing himself for something to happen. I looked around for anything else, but there was nothing.

I looked at the man. "Hey. What's up?"

He was sweating bullets. "Um…" His eyes darted over his shoulder. "I'm not entirely sure."

"I have captured this… spy." I heard Ky say from somewhere behind him. Oh… she turned invisible and put a dagger to his throat, didn't she? I love her now.

"I'm not a spy… I'm a courier." The man said. Oh… yeah, he does look like that courier that always finds me.

I nodded. "Ok… so, what do you need to give me?"

He reached for his pouch, his hand shaking the whole time. "I have this letter for you. General Tullius said it needed to reach you."

He pulled out what looked like a scroll. I was already smiling from ear to ear as I took the scroll in my hands. Was it my Personal Scroll? I opened it up, and it didn't have any inventory, or anything like that at all. All it said was, "My soldiers reported that you helped them escape the ruin of Helgen, and I am pleased to hear of your abilities as a seeress. I checked the imperial records of you, Talia Cearbhail, but found nothing. If you wish to become a legal citizen of the Empire, and to receive the special benefits of joining our Empire, please come to Solitude and ask for the royal scribe. We'll get you set up. I hope to speak with you when you arrive. Signed, General Octavian Tullius."

Octavian… like Augustus? Huh… did this world just throw a joke at me? That's… really cool. I'm so calling him Doc Oc next time I see him. Or I guess Gen… um… Sven? No, that's stupid. Stop being stupid, Tabby!

I looked up at the messenger. "Thanks for the message. Do I owe you anything?"

The man shook his head. "No, ma'am… the wet shite in my pants is more than enough." He said through his whimpers.

"This man tells the truth, Ky'ren-thia can smell it." Ky reported back to me, talking low and sinisterly as she did so.

I nodded. "Good work, Ky. You can let him go now."

She let him go and he ran off as fast as he could. Well… so much for that. There was no ambush that I could see, no obvious scouts, but that doesn't mean that I'm in the clear yet. For all I know, there could be a person sketching my appearance for Thrawn… and he might _do_ things with that sketch. Like… make wanted posters for my arrest and stuff.

The Resistance soldiers followed me out, Recorder and Hadvar following out with Delphine behind them. Ok, so… that was all of us. I turned to look at everyone.

"Okay… we know where they've taken him. Bleak Falls Burrow. Thrawn said it so I knew where to go." He also knew I would be going there anyway.

Delphine nodded. "And we were heading there before we even came here. He's prepared for us." She rubbed her chin. "This is no small incident. This has been planned. For how long?" She looked at me. "Just how important are you?"

I grabbed my arms, trying to hide my rising scales, which I guess were goose-bumps for Argonians. "I don't know why he wants me though." If he wanted me dead… there would have been assassins taking their hits at me. "So… obviously, we need to head to Bleak Falls. We can't just rush in blind though." I looked over to Recorder. "Have a plan?"

She shrugged. "You're the…" She held her tongue, looking around at the others. "experienced traveler… seeress." She hissed that word out. Still a little mad, I see. "What's your plan?"

I looked back at the temple. "For now… we look in that temple, see if we can find anything useful. And then…" I looked at the magicka saber in my hands. "I can't use this thing yet, so it's basically useless. Until I get this thing to work, I need a stronger blade." I looked over to Hadvar. "Can you head to Solitude and get my Personal Scroll prepared?"

He shook his head. "You need to be present for it to be made. You entire soul needs to be organized into a transmutation scroll, one that adapts to your person as you grow and evolve."

Yeah, that's about what I thought. Ok then. I sighed. "So, we head into the temple, see if we can find anything, stay the night, and then head to Bleak Falls Burrow. It would take more time than we have to go to Solitude and get that scroll ready… and I don't want to put this off. If Thrawn wants me, he'll get me… one way or another." Time to end this. I'm dead anyway. He probably has all the routes closed off and watched.

I brushed the feathers out of my eyes. I glanced at Recorder. "Are you up for this? This isn't your fight?"

She nodded. "You're damn right, this isn't my fight. But… I'll come anyway. I want to see how you'll get through this, and you're the first recording of someone like… _you_. My superiors would _kill_ me if I didn't stay to see what you're capable of."

Fair enough. I guess we need to prepare. "Someone get me a sword." I looked at Delphine, and then to Hadvar. "And you two are going to make sure I know how to use one properly." I'm a little rusty since my days at the university.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

I was kidding. This isn't Re:Zero... it's more like Kono Suba. That comedy with Megumin and the kid that dies in the real world and ends up in a fantasy world. Kind of like... here. Did I spoil the ending?


	9. Sparring Sucks

**Ceabhail** :

Sigh... i don't even know what to talk about!

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"Okay, I need a break." Hadvar screamed as he lowered his wooden sword.

I sighed, lowering my combative stance. "Yeah, I'm pretty beat up too." I looked at the finely drawn lines in my scales. Jeez, Delphine was a monster. She was just treating Hadvar and me like we were flies that she was just playing with, hitting us just lightly enough that we were continually stunned and incapable of fighting her off while she nicked small pieces of us off. And I'm not some rookie with a sword. I studied Kendo for years, so I know how to handle a sword. I've been in plenty of tournament matches, and even free-for-alls with other dojos without standardized rules for our sparring matches. As in… getting slashed earned a point, not just some specific areas of the body with specifics kinds of strikes, in a specific stance, with specific footwork, and a specific scream associated with all of those. Kendo is hard to master, because you have to be completely in sync with your opponent and yourself. It's the ultimate martial art for me, but I get headaches wearing the men, and I get dizzy and deaf ears every time I get struck on the head, so I stopped. At the time, I thought I was beginning to lose my hearing.

So, with all that training, I thought I had some amount of basics, but… Delphine schooled me. First match with her, I went with chuudan stance. It was the staple for all kendo matches. Most of us use chuudan because it's so easy to strike every zone with it. Plus… you're stuck with it until you become ni-dan, which is kind of like being a second degree black belt in any other system. I never made it to dan, so I was never allowed to train with the other stances like joudan. I was… what was I? Gods, it's been so long, I don't even remember. I think I was ni-kyu or somewhere around there. San-kyu? Man, I would have to ask my old sensei, but I was getting pretty close to becoming a dan. I was just a rank or two away from a dan rank.

Anyway, I took the chuudan stance, which is normal for us, and she did this thing with her legs where she danced across my blade, and before I could even see it, she had her wooden katana slipped between my two arms, the tip pressed gently against my throat.

"Dead." She said with a bored tone, and then she just loosened up, dropping her sword. "You're… wow." She shook her head. "Ok, let's start over. I'll go slower this time." She walked away from me. "Guess you really are a level zero."

Recorder was laughing from outside the dueling ring. She was just enjoying watching me fail at this. "What's the matter? You're so good at playing as _other_ people you can't control _yourself_?" She screamed to me. Such a bitch move.

Once I got that drilled in my head that kendo was great but it wasn't going to save my life here, I decided to slip back into the other sword forms I practiced with growing up. Forget all the discipline, all the dedicated footwork. Just… incorporate all I've learned into what I needed now. This was the Blades' style. I just needed to watch, learn, adapt, and use it against Delphine.

And… I lost. She bashed me in the nose with my own handle. And then I lost… and lost, both times in the same match. My wooden sword somehow killed me twice. And then I got my butt spanked. And my pants pulled down. And shamed, again, and again, and again. All while Recorder and Ky laughed. And I wasn't the only one getting shamed. Hadvar was right beside me for most of it. Just seeing him fight Delphine reassured me that I'm not as bad as I thought… Delphine is just a literal goddess of a sword fighter. I watched him pull a Washington moment from his fight with Tex, and that's when it hit me. It was like being in a fight with Tex.

After my millionth lose, Ky returned from her exposition with the Chiss revolutionaries. She had in her hands a single square cube. "This is all Ky'ren-thia could find."

I looked at the holocron sitting in her hands. "Really?" I couldn't believe Thrawn just let one of these escape his grasp. I walked over to Ky, extending my hand for it. "Mind if I use it?"

She shrugged, smiling as she handed it to me. "Ky'ren-thia does not see why not."

I held the holocron in my hands, and I looked it over. It was extremely light, and I remember that these things were instant knowledge. It wasn't like the mod I had downloaded that made reading the tomes a lot harder to accomplish and required time and frequent reading to actually learn the spell inside. This was instantaneous.

I took the holocron, thumbing the button on the side. I wonder what would be inside. There were a lot of Force Powers in the game that I could potentially learn. And I think Force Push, which was basically a spell of Unrelenting Force, would probably be the most useful. And as I released the button, the holocron snapped open, and a bright light flashed over my face.

Images of sword stances, parries, and other techniques quickly filled my mind. I was being taught the basics of lightsaber combat. But there was more than that. There was the concentrating of the Force inside you to make yourself stronger, more agile, able to move quicker, react faster, run longer lengths, and jump farther. The Force Power, Force Enhancement was now awoken inside of me. Well, it wasn't the ability to lift people and choke them to death, but it was pretty practical.

I smiled as I handed the holocron over to Ky. "I think everyone should use this."

She looked down at the holocron. She tried to push the button like I did, but nothing happened. "Ky'ren-thia thinks you took the magick inside it." She said with a heavy sigh. "It is too bad. She was looking forward to learning from the cube."

I remember seeing Thrawn's henchmen holding a whole sack full of these. I wonder if any of those holocrons are even filled with knowledge anymore. At least I know how to make myself stronger and faster now, not to mention able to do those sweet Jedi flips.

I looked over at Delphine, smiling as I gripped the handle on my wooden sword. "I think I'm ready for the next bout." I took a deep breath, now understanding how to use magicka, or the Force, or ki… or whatever. It's all the same. It's always been the same thing, just new pretty words to make it locally understood. It's the energy of life. And I now have a slight understanding of how to use that energy to empower my person.

It was like a light switch, like a button I had to mentally push. I gathered in the energy for the spell, or in this case, Force Power, and then… released it. I felt my body become tighter, my senses stronger, heightened. I felt lighter on my feet, less restricted by the gravity of this planet, or the resistance of the air. I was moving atoms away from me in a way that allowed me to flow through the fabrics of this universe. I was going to Luke Skywalker this place one day, appearing as an invincible powerhouse, but only because the entire world just moves around me without affecting my personal self.

I grinned as I swung the sword around in a Makashi stance. For anyone that knows Star Wars like me… you know what Makashi is. And for those of you who don't… just look it up. It would save me a lot of time. The basics is that Makashi… is the lightsaber form for dueling. Kind of like kendo, or fencing. And unfortunately, it's the lightsaber form that was just drilled into my head. I guess Soresu wasn't good enough for the holocron of movement. I find irony in that.

I looked over at Delphine, who now noticed the ease of how I moved my wooden sword. She smirked. "Someone seems confidant."

I smirked back. "I know kung fu." Yeah, yeah, I know… Matrix reference… too easy. But when else am I going to be able to say that line? There aren't any spell books that teach greater offense… well… except after you help Herpes Mora, with that skin-bound book of his, if you even bother using it for sword fighting instead of using the book to level up your magic, or your lockpicking and pickpocketing skills instead. Jeez, tentacle porn, has a giant statue of a crab, and skin-bound books, and a soft perverted voice actor voice? They were not subtle about him at all. The devs knew exactly what Herpes Mora was.

I walked over to the starting point, the line that I drew for myself when I first fought Delphine. I looked over at Hadvar, who was still nursing the bruise on his face. "Don't worry, I'll avenge you."

He almost rolled his eyes. "This should be good."

I looked over to Delphine. "Oh, I'm about to get all sorts of mythical." I nodded to Delphine. "Ready when…"

I was suddenly on my ass, Delphine standing over top of me, the wooden sword gently eased inside my mouth, just far enough in that I was trying to gag, but not vomit. "I see you've learned to speed your body up. You actually tensed up as I tripped you off your feet. Blades know all about that spell."

Oh… well…

That makes so much sense.

She held out her hand. "I think I should put you up against Hadvar." She looked over at Hadvar. "Your turn."

I took her hand, and she helped pull me onto my feet. Hadvar, wooden sword and actual shield in hand, took his spot where Delphine stood. My spell was still running strong, and I think I have to physically release it, or let it run its course, I can't tell yet.

I waited for Hadvar to ready himself. "Whenever you're ready." He said as he placed his shield in front of him, bringing his sword straight back, the tip pointing right at me. Oh… it's like that scene from 300. The one dad forced me to watch so I could learn how to effectively use teamwork to kill thousands of idiots that don't know they're in a poorly choreographed fight movie. Damn… now I want to watch 300 hundred again.

I smiled as I brought my own sword up. "So, just like that shield wall from earlier, huh?"

He nodded. "It's the basic staple of the Imperial Legion."

I smirked. "And remember how well that ended for them? An oversized teddy bear of a Nord threw them across Riverwood."

Hadvar shook his head. "That wasn't a Nord. He was a Titan. Huge difference." He replied. Huh… titan. I do not have a mod for that installed. Is it a new race this world created to justify the massive Nords the Juggernauts were? Well that's pretty cool. I wonder if Lilmothiits were in this world then. I have them downloaded. Still think I should have played as one… but that would set off a whole list of other races I'd rather play as right now if I knew I was going to be living in their bodies. Dunmer, Lilmothiit, Echani… and then me… Argonian. There, the list is complete. But I am an Argonian, and that kicks all sorts of ass. I get free resistance to disease, health point regeneration, still warm-blooded somehow, I shed my scales like an Irish woman who spent two seconds out in the sunlight (I'm used to that), and I can breathe under water. I'm cool with being an Argonian. I just wish I could experience this with a big bushy tail or pointy elf ears. I don't even have ears now.

"Are you ready?" Hadvar asked as he drew my attention back to the fight.

I nodded. "Yup. Just… regretting some life choices." I looked at Hadvar. How would be the best way to fight someone with a shield and a pointy sword. If 300 teaches you anything, it's that you don't. You just don't. So, if I had a shield, I would hate if someone were to hit me from behind. His sword isn't held in a way that could be used from a backward slash. I could slide under his legs, kind of like Spiderman, and then hit him from behind. Well, if we're going to go that route. I'll just do what Morgiana does. I still have Monk's Fist, and that means I hit hard, and with this spell, I hit even harder now. And faster.

I dug my feet into the ground. "Okay, Hadvar. Let's do this."

He started advancing on me, keeping his shield up. I squatted down and then lifted up a foot, smashing it down as I threw myself up, and using my own foot as a springboard as I flew off the ground and into the ceiling. And as I flew into the air… I realized something. Something very important. I can fly… but… I haven't trained on moving in the air yet. Not since I owned a trampoline as a small child, and I… I never learned how to flip on it. Or land correctly. So, as I thought I was just going to jump up to the ceiling, land perfectly on top of it, upside down, and glare menacingly at Hadvar as I started bouncing around the temple like it was my personal playhouse, the reality was more…

"Hey… wake up." Hadvar slapped me in the face a few times. My poor beak was smashed from my pointblank entry with the ceiling. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. Both from embarrassment and from the pain of having a nearly shattered nose.

I looked at Hadvar. "Tell me… did my Histskin activate?"

He shook his head. "It probably won't for a day still."

I sighed as I started picking myself up, with the help of Hadvar. "You took a hard hit." He said as he helped me onto my feet. "Are you sure you want to head to Bleak Falls Burrow? This very well could be suicide."

I rubbed my beak. "Yeah… you're probably right." I looked at Delphine. "Think we should just go to Solitude, get the Imperial Legion to come with us? Maybe help us secure the burrow? I mean… this is more than just some Draugr and a dragon at this point. Thrawn is… he's known in the universe as the unstoppable strategist." Well, at least he used to be. Every time he's in some form of media… he never quite wins. He always gets close to winning, and then at the last second, someone does something that he does not expect and then… they win and he loses, hard. If we're following that trend here, then I should be able to handle Thrawn. I eat unexpected for breakfast and then crap out rainbow glitter. Yeah… try to get that visual out of your head. Bet you can't!

That gave me an idea. "I think I know how we're going to beat Thrawn."

Everyone looked right at me, mostly with faces filled with bemusement. Even Recorder looked too shocked to utter a comment on my uselessness so far. "Oh, really?" She smiled at the thought of getting me to embarrass myself. "How?"

"Mass confusion." I replied.

I stood up, looking at Delphine. "Let me demonstrate." I tossed my sword down. "I'm going to take down Delphine."

Delphine looked really suspicious but shrugged. "Why not? Let's see what you have planned."

She picked up her wooden katana and charged at me. I immediately grabbed my pants and pulled them down, throwing my tunic off me. That confused Delphine enough, but to have me throw my shirt in her face, had her bringing her sword up to knock the tunic away from her. Now, she was expecting me to rush her, but I wasn't. I stepped back and started dancing.

Delphine knocked the clothes away from her point of view, and she froze as she watched me dance. "What? What are you doing?"

"Dance contest, you and me." I said as I started humming _Remedy_.

She arched her eyebrows, shaking her head. "Ok, no." She slashed at me, but I was already activating my Slow Time effect, allowing me to dance around her attack. I grabbed onto her hands, pulling her in a spin as I forced her to slow dance with me.

"What?" She was so confused by the change of events. "When did?"

I smiled as I leaned in. "Delphine, you might be a warrior, but I know one thing about fighting. If you stick to a script… you run the risk of your enemy knowing what you plan to do. If you toss away the conventional, all you have is chance and luck. And Thrawn has… horrible luck. And a mind for only the conventional." Me, on the other hand, have always used unconventional methods to win in sparring matches with people in Tae Kwon Do who expect only straight punches, whirling kicks, and straight blocks. Start doing drunken boxing stuff and they flip the fuck out.

Delphine was trying her best to break away, so she slammed her foot down on top of mine. I'm used to that maneuver though. So, I did the splits, and then used her arms to spin myself around her.

When I broke away, I started doing the Skyrim Shuffle. You know the one. "To the right, to the right. To the left, to the left." Delphine took this time to charge at me, thrusting her katana. I whipped my arm out, knocking her blade away. "Now, twirl, honey… twirl!" I whipped Delphine right past me, a bruise on my left arm, but it was worth it. "Skyrim shuffle!" I started dancing that stupid dance. I loved that stupid dance though, and it felt appropriate.

Delphine face-palmed. "Gods, not that stupid dance." She brought her wooden sword up. "Okay, I'll admit, you have… thoroughly disgraced yourself."

I smirked. "Yeah, I just Katia Managan'ed all over the place." I looked at my lack of clothes covering me. "Lost my clothes, used stupid methods, and yet… I'm still standing."

Delphine turned around to face me, lowering her stance. "And let's see if you can continue your shenanigans."

I tried my best to think about what to do next, but nothing was coming to me. Delphine was suddenly in my face, her wooden sword just seconds away from contacting with me. I was already slipping into my Monk power, and with the Force empowering my ability to move quickly, I was able to dodge her attack, spinning around her. What kind of stupid thing could I do to end this fight with Delphine? I could just be straightforward and finish her off. I sighed as I brought a knee up, connecting it with her stomach. I felt her arm trap my knee, and I knew I messed up.

I felt the tip of the sword pressed against the back of my head. Time resumed. "You're getting better. You've started to get a handle on fighting. Still though, you're nothing." She sighed as she let go of my leg. "I've seen Thrawn lead his men, and I've seen him fight. I'm not trying to be tough on you, but if you are planning on fighting Thrawn… someone I can't beat, how can you handle him if you can't handle me?"

I sighed. "Yeah, this is stupid, but…" I don't have a plan. I CAN'T have a plan. Any plan I could come up with, Thrawn will already have a strategy for. "We can't stay here any longer. Let's just… go and get this over with."

Delphine sighed. "Are you sure about that?"

I walked over, picking my clothes off the floor. "Absolutely sure. Delphine… Thrawn is a monster. He's a cunning manipulative monster. He can plan for anything, but his plans are rarely able to adapt at last second. I can sit here and ponder how to beat him, but at the end of the day… what's going to beat him is a scrub without a plan." I pointed to myself. "And that's my plan. Wing it. It worked for the rebellion. It worked for Disney. I mean…" I cleared my throat. "I don't know anything about the overlords and their ability to keep me from writing fun stories like this." I smiled to the camera. I sure hope the death troopers don't come knocking on my door.

Recorder scoffed. "Really? That's your plan? Just… don't come up with one?"

I nodded. "Yup. It's that simple." I looked at everyone. "You don't have to come with me. I'd appreciate it though." I glanced from Ky to Recorder, over to Delphine and Hadvar. And then I looked at the Resistance soldiers. I guess I could think of something. "If you want a plan, here's the plan." I looked over Hadvar. "Go to Solitude. Get that scribe guy. Bring him to Bleak Falls Burrow. Maybe bring some Legionaries while you're at it. I want my personal scroll finished before I have this showdown. And if I meet the scribe before I go inside Bleak Falls Burrow, that'd be fantastic. And if the Legionaries just happened to… I don't know, give us some covering fire while we fight our way to Thrawn… even better." Hadvar nodded. Looks like he agreed with my logic. That's good, I guess that means I'm on the right track. I looked over to Delphine. "Esbern is in Riften's underground place… I forget what it's called, but Brynjolf knows where he is. Just ask the Thieves Guild. They're taking his money to keep his secret. Go have your moment with him. See if you two can come up with some kind of strategy for rescuing me if I get captured."

Delphine shook her head. "Maybe later. I should come with you now." Well, that's her mistake, but whatever. I could use the additional sword arm.

I looked at Ky. "You should be my backup. My invisible ally that cuts down whoever tries to sneak up on me. Maybe try that against Thrawn."

Ky nodded. "She can easily do that." I'm glad to hear that. I was half expecting to her hear say that she wasn't coming with me.

I looked at the Resistance soldiers. "Gather your forces, prepare for a coordinated attack, but not Bleak Falls Burrow. Everywhere else."

They looked surprised, and they started chatting at each other, wondering why I would have them target anywhere but where Thrawn was. "What do you mean?" The Resistance leader asked.

I smirked. "Thrawn will think that I will bring you to Bleak Falls Burrow, that I will willingly lead you into a trap if it means having some backup. He wants you destroyed just as badly as he wants me captured. So… if he expects you there, the last place you should be… is there. And if he has the majority of his forces pinned down at Bleak Falls Burrow, and if your allies were to suddenly… attack every other spot, ahead of time even, it might force Thrawn to adapt his plan… which he sucks at. This is unconventional warfare, and I excel at it. He might pull some of his forces away from the trap to help quell your advances, or double down at Bleak Falls Burrow and swear that he'll recover those sites later. The payoff is that the Resistance will get more resources, more weapons, recover magickal artifacts Thrawn has captured, and… kill some of his forces. Not a bad trade off, I might say." I nodded at my clever plan. Thrawn does not know who he's messing with. Or he does… and I'm making a horrible mistake.

I should just double down on that. "But don't just blindly charge in. Do the necessary scouting, see if you can even manage any strikes. If not, guerrilla the hell out of their forts, draw them out into conflicts you can control. If you can take their forts, you not only get resources for your ongoing campaign, intelligence on other forts, but you're also taking territory from Thrawn's forces, striping what land they already control, and furthermore… royally piss him off for a couple days."

The Resistance leader nodded. "That sounds… acceptable. You… are a surprising person."

I shrugged. "I've played so many war games, real-stratagems, first person shooters, and voice-controlled combat simulators that… I'm almost as good as Thrawn is, probably." Thank you, End War. My favorite game for that so far. Halo Wars are pretty fun too, but Total War never works on my laptop. Luckily… youtube does. I've watched a lot of youtubers doing Total War campaigns to get my fill of not being able to play that game. And I get outside experience of how they adapt to scenarios that I can draw upon in my life, and reflect on how what they did failed or worked. I just hope I can use those examples to get rid of Thrawn.

Delphine shrugged. "That sounds great and all, but here's the crux of your plan. So… you're eliminating your main army. We're just going to wait for Hadvar to return with the scribe… and possibly a legion? You know Tullius won't engage in an actual war with Thrawn or his forces. They're almost allies. There is no way he'd openly wage war against Thrawn. And the only army at your disposal, you're going to throw everywhere else? You think that's a smart plan?" I nodded. Delphine threw her arms up. "Well, sure, in the long run it's great. But in the present… you'll be a walking target for Thrawn. Whatever he wants from you… he'll get it. Ky'ren-thia and I can't just hold his forces off."

I nodded. "Yup. But… we're not going alone."

That got her confused. "Okay… you have my attention."

I shook my head. "Not saying. Let's just say… I have a plan." It's an awesome plan.

Delphine put her foot down. "That's not good enough."

I chuckled at that reply. "Okay, Will Turner. I know a Shout. One that's guaranteed to work." All Shouts work the same way. I don't need to have Dragon Souls for these ones. I just need to know their names.

Delphine's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Which Shout?"

"I won't ruin the surprise." How could I?

Delphine rubbed her chin, I guess trying to figure out my master plan. "There are Shouts that can shake the world apart. Do you know any Shouts like that?"

I almost laughed at that comment. I was so going to say, 'on this character, no', but I held my tongue for once in my life.

I glanced at Recorder. "Tell me, Recorder. Are you in? Or…"

She sighed. "I'll come along." She looked down at her obsidian katanas. "I want to record everything that happens, no matter how gruesome."

I'm not sure how I should take that, but she literally thinks I'm the devil so… I'll take it for what it's worth. I looked over the group. "Okay, so… how long of a journey until we're at Bleak Falls Burrow?"

Delphine crossed her arms. "It's a six hour walk, remember?" She shook her head. "And if you think I'm going to listen to you whine while we trudge our way back to Riverwood, let me remind you, we walked here at the break of dawn, and got her just a little after lunch. The sun will be setting in an hour, and I'm not listening to you whine about not being able to see in the dark, or being afraid of werewolves, frostbite spiders, or gods forbid, a troll… then let me clarify something to you. We're spending the night, and we'll head out first thing in the morning."

Hadvar nodded. "In that case, I think I'll head to Falkreath and get myself a horse… head up to Solitude. In nightfall, I can get there with relative ease. If I get there fast enough, and I get a carriage back, I might be able to join you by late afternoon."

Delphine nodded. "We'll meet you in Riverwood."

The leader of the Resistance turned to look at his troops. "And that gives us all tomorrow morning to signal to our other forces to begin coordinated strikes against Thrawn's forces throughout Skyrim." He smiled. "This is a good plan. I'm excited about this."

He walked over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You have brought us hope… hope we long lost. If you really are a force that can stop Thrawn, you can count of our support."

Shit…

I hate when people say things like that. This is exactly the moment when everything gets set up, and the heroes have a slight advantage, and that advantage gets destroyed by a vastly superior enemy, one that knows exactly how to bring down everything they've set in motion, and all for two reasons: to showcase the threat the heroes have to overcome, and to showcase just how batshit evil the main antagonist really is. I really hope I'm not digging my own grave. Because these lines everyone spouting seems to reinforce that I'm about to have my ass handed to me, and that I'll be forced to watch as everyone in this Resistance is outsmarted by predicted outcomes made by Thrawn as he quickly and effectively destroys my new friends, and locking me up in a prison to be tortured until a roguish Hadvar with a scruffy unshaven face and long flowing hair smashes down the door and rescues me, leading me to a small ragtag team of people who are willing to fight against Thrawn… oh, and it's totally five years in the future, and things have changed so drastically that you'd think the end of the world had already happened thousands of years ago. Like in the newest versions of Star Wars.

I sighed, looking up at the guy. "Just… be really careful. Don't make stupid mistakes." Like me.

He nodded. "We know what Thrawn's capable of. We've survived this long. We'll be careful." Said the uncovered hand to the heated kettle handle.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Who wants to guess what's going to happen? I'm sure not sure.


	10. Street fighting noob

**Ceabhail** :

Well, this started out as a... 'we will figure it out as we go along' chapter, and we all know how well I handle those kinds of chapters. It should speak for itself. Oh yeah... I totally forgot. My Echani, at level 44, fully enchanted gear and heavily stacked with defensive upgrades, managed to easily kill Thrawn. I know his weakness now. While spells do jackshit to him, there is a flaw in his defense. My bow I started with I enchanted with a stacking constant fire enchantment, one that does four points of damage never stopping, until he dies. And I hit him like... twenty times with it, and I just watched as his life bar... sort of moved. But since it was up that meant... it was still draining and I was like... Yes! And I then held up my shield and just absorbed everything he threw at me. It was cake. I even killed a dragon, two of his commanding officers, although my party pretty much dealt with them with bows with similar enchantments so... yeah. That was nice. She got revenge for her sister, who Thrawn killed at Level 24. So... yay.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

We spent the night at the Force Temple. I spent a few more hours sparring with Delphine and Recorder, as well as Ky. I was still really bad at fighting Delphine, but Recorder was an easier opponent, and Ky was a nimble little… sneak thief, I guess is the word I'm going to use for her. I worked on using my new Force Power to speed up my muscles, and I started working on using that new power to dance around my opponents, and then used my knowledge from Makashi's form, as well as my own knowledge, to defend myself from their attacks. I made significant improvements on using my Force Power, almost to the point where I could jump onto one pillar and then use that as a springboard to hit the backside of my target. I can't jump from one pillar to another yet, but I think once I get that flipping thing down… I'll be able to do it countless times, as long as I keep my mind focused on it. But for now, after I jump onto the pillar, it's a crashing maneuver. I land on my forearms and then do the tuck and roll thing I learned in ninjutsu. It hurts a little, but I'm literally cannonballing myself into the ground, so it's going to until I get some arm bracers.

So, you can imagine my night was productive. We went into Falkreath for dinner, and to enjoy some tavern music. I wanted a bottle of mead, and I figured 'why not?' I very well could be dead tomorrow so… I should at least enjoy what could be my last bottle of any alcohol. And Falkreath was huge, bigger than it was in the game. At least, it seemed bigger. There were more people in the town, maybe more buildings, and it seemed a lot more lively. But… that's thing. They're still Nords. And I'm still… Argonian. When Delphine walked through the tavern door, there were a few glances, but nothing major. When Ky and me walked through the door… everything stopped, and everyone looked.

I had one guy look me up and down, and then looking over at Ky. He was heavily drunk, and I could tell by his staring that he was contemplating asking me really racist questions. He pushed his way out of his chair, and I glanced at Ky, sticking my hand in front of her. "Behave." I whispered to her.

Ky only purred at the request. I could tell she thought it was amusing that I could suggest something like that to her. She's an assassin, one I assumed that was trained by the Thalmor. I don't know much about her past though. The mod didn't exactly… offer up a past for us to know. I think that's probably for best. I could always ask her. I'm sure she has one.

The drunk guy stood up, and walked over to us, and as he did so… I was reminded of just how… tall Nords are in my modded game. My head only came up to his shoulders, and he was huge… I mean muscles. He was like a walking tank, and I'm sure he wasn't just a Nord. This guy must be a Titan, that race that was created for the Juggernauts. And here I stood with Ky, both of us slender and shorter than Nords. They guy just stood there, wobbling on his feet. "You're… colorful…" He managed to slur out his words, hiccupping as he did so.

I clenched my fists, expecting to have to defend myself at any second. Why can't I ever just… go to a place in a public space, and not get some random guy always approaching me for one reason or another?

He reached down to touch me, but I backed away. "Please… don't touch me."

"You have scales…" He muttered. "Never felt scales before. Are you slimy? Hard? Coarse? Can I touch your feathers?" He didn't even bother waiting for a response, his was already grabbing onto my arm, and I tried to yank my arm away, but I guess my Monk Fist doesn't work on grappling. This was not going to be easy. I could feel the guy rubbing his thumb over my arm as he gripped me tightly. "Your scales are rough, dry… like the leather boots my dad used to wear."

My face flushed of color hearing that. He just casually grabbed me, felt me, and then compared me to boots. I mean… I'm used to it with guys from the real world, and I hate them too. But those guys, usually, I can kick them in the balls and walk away. This guy… this behemoth, is just one of possibly twenty in this room, and they'll defend him, not me. I'm the intruder, not the victim. And I don't have a rape whistle to blow if he touches me. Honestly, it's not that different from home. Men are men, regardless of where which world they're from.

He looked from me over to Ky. "Is your fur soft?"

He started to reach over to her with his free hand, but he was intercepted by Delphine. "Tell me… are your balls?" Her foot ended up between his legs so quickly I barely had time to even process the question before his face turned blue and his legs gave out underneath him. He squeezed my arm tightly enough that I felt the blood in my hand burn, and as he fell, he started pulling me to the ground too.

Delphine's sword scabbard smacked against his face a few times before his hand released my arm, and I felt all the pressure building in my arm slowly vanish. The big guy was on the ground, groaning as he lied on the floor. He drunkenly looked up at Delphine, his face bright purple and scrunched up like a raisin.

She glanced back at the other Nords, all of whom continued to glance at us, as if asking a question as to what we planned to do next. Delphine glanced at the bartender. "Get this guy a mead as an apology. And a bag of ice for his balls."

The bartender nodded and just like that, the attention focused on us returned to other things. It was like all the tension in the room was finally released, and everything returned to normal. I half expected to see some Redguard or something walk into the tavern with a tall werewolf, look at me and say something like, "My friend doesn't like you. I don't like you either. I'm wanted in eight holds." You know… keeping to the Star Wars thing this campaign seems to be leaning on.

I sighed as I walked over to the bar, still glancing around at the Nords enjoying their day as I did so. They kept their backward glances at me and Ky as we walked over to the bar, and the bartender had no reservations at glancing at us with a full onceover. I sighed as I managed to plant my butt on a stool. There, something accomplished… sitting at a tavern without drawing the entire tavern into a barfight. Not going to lie… that would be kind of fun, but… I have enough to worry about tomorrow.

The bartender continued to glance at me and Ky, so I forced a smile. "So… a Breton, a Khajiit, and an Argonian walk into a bar. The bartender says, 'Whatcha having?' And the Breton answers, a Colonial Brandy, the Khajiit says a glass of milk, and then the bartender looks at the Argonian. When she asks, the Argonian points at the Nord lying on the ground and says, 'The Nord icebreaker… no rocks'." I pointed over my shoulder to the crippled Nord crying as he cradled his shattered sack.

That made the bartender crack a smile, and as I said it, some nearby Nords even chuckled. That lifted whatever tension that remained in the tavern. And that made my shoulders release their tension as well. I was hoping I could just… eat and go to bed. I'm glad we're on the same page. The tavern quickly returned to normal, and even though people tried their best to ignore us, I could see that everyone still wanted to turn to us, talk to us, and ask us questions that may or may not be somehow racist. I mean I get it… I have scales, Ky has fur. But asking if someone licks themselves clean, or if I can breathe in a sewer… well, I'm not sure how racist the second one is, but… I don't feel comfortable even pondering it, let alone answering it.

The bartender glanced at me and then to Ky. "You two aren't from around here, I take it." It wasn't a question, it was a simple observation, and I understood that. It was just her way of asking the obvious question of why, oh why, we were in Falkreath, the town of the buried souls.

She eyed my robes. "You a mage?" And then she looked over at Ky. "And… I'm not sure what you are."

Ky smirked, leaning on her forearms. "An assassin." That drew the bartender's attention, as well as the glances from some of the men that had been eyeing the two of us. Their faces flushed as they quickly glanced away. Man… that's a buzzkill, whenever you hear that the person you plan on stalking has no reservations on killing you, and knows how to do it. Dojos are no different. Guys think they can beat you in a match and prove that they can 'handle you'. You don't hold back, and you teach them that they can't handle anything.

The bartender grunted at hearing that, and then glanced over to me. "I'm a monk." I replied, which drew more stares at me. I guess that was a new term for the people here, or… they wanted more context as to how capable I am as a fighter, so I leaned back on the bar, looking up at the ceiling. "A warrior monk. I can punch holes in rocks and stuff. And I'm really agile, and can punch through bodies and stuff. And let's not even get started on my kicks. I can kill someone with just one punch… I don't even want to know what my kicks can do to a human body."

Delphine glanced at me. "Cool it." She whispered to me. "I know what you're trying to do, but you're having an opposite effect. You're just stirring the pot, not cooling it. The tempted will want to test your theories. And that means…"

A heavy hand planted on the bar, and when I looked over my shoulder, another Nord was looming over me. This guy was bigger than the last one, and he was shirtless. I could see scars on his shoulders and chest. One of his eyes was covered by a eye patch, and there was a long scar poking down the patch. He had a shaved head, but his beard made up for that fact. If the last guy wasn't a Titan… this guy sure was. And he seemed to think that he knew he was scaring me, because he broke into a sick grin.

"So… you're a fighter." He almost growled out, his mouth beginning to drool, or that was some bit of chowder still resting in his ragged beard.

I sighed. "I just want to order some food, eat it, and then go to bed. Can I just… eat my food?"

He nodded. "I can respect that, but… you mentioned how strong you are. I want to see that for myself."

"And if I say no?" My voice deadpanned. Just like the dojo all over again.

The man looked me in the eye, and his grin grew. "You just told me everything I needed to know." He pulled up on the stool next to me, sitting right next to me. "You have the eyes on an experienced fighter. Not even afraid of me. And the way you confronted Ignor at the door. Knowing your friend was a killer… you stopped her from going at the guy, and placed yourself in front of her. You know you could handle him, even though your other friend handled that for you." He snorted. "I wonder if you knew she would do that? Are you a master tactician? A monk… here in Falkreath, wearing that…" He nudged the magicka sword handle clipped to my belt. "A Jedi… here?" He snorted. "And with the Fleet looking for some person described as a threat, sacking Falkreath, placing scouts in the area, all looking for the 'Dragonborn'… and even taking a Jedi hostage…" He glanced at me.

I took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and finally sighed a release as I looked at the bartender. "Okay, I'm going to want your strongest mead." I glanced at Delphine. She had the money; I had nothing on me… at all. "Is that okay with you?"

Delphine smiled. "Hey… I like to think of it like this… this is only your second day, and… if you are who you say you are… it's paid forward. And if not… I'll make sure you pay it forward, one way or…" She tapped her katana. "another."

The man caught all of that. "So… a Blade, an assassin, and an monk with no money." He pulled out a sack of coins. "I still want that fight. Win… and…" He shoved the bag of coins to me. "200. More than enough for food, lodging, a waterskin. A tent, maybe."

I looked up at the guy. He just offered me money to fight him, just like in the game, only… he was offering me more than the game always asked for, and I always had to put up the same amount as the other guy to fight him. So… he was offering me 200… what did I have to offer in return? If he even smirks after I ask that… I'm out.

"Let's say… I'm entertaining this idea. What do I have to offer up for losing?" I scanned the guy, seeing if his body could give away his motive, his true motive. The guy glanced away, looking up at the ceiling, and he rocked back on his stool, as if he was asking the same question.

"If you lose…" He stopped, looking at me, and then at the magicka saber strapped to my belt. "you give me that weapon of yours."

So, he wanted my magicka saber then. I couldn't use it… but it wasn't really mine to offer up. It was Merak's, not to mention, I might be able to use it later, once I figure out how to turn it on.

I sighed. "It's not mine, so… I can't."

He snorted. "So, you're just a pillager then. You went into the temple and found it." He nodded. "You're no Jedi."

I nodded to his statement. "Not yet."

It was around this time that the bartender walked over to me, holding the bottle of mead. She looked at me and then over to Delphine. "So, who's paying?"

"I am." The Titan replied, pushing the same bag forward. "Get her whatever she asks."

I screamed internally at him. I settled for slamming my fist on the bar. "You shouldn't say stuff like that. I might just use every cent."

His eyebrows arched. "Cent? What's a cent?" He leaned over to me. "Wait… are you saying you can use your nose? Is that how you fight?"

Something in me snapped. "You want to fight?!" I pushed myself out of my chair. I grabbed the bottle of mead and took a big gulp of it. I slammed the mead onto the table, not even allowing myself to enjoy the honey-flavored swill burning down my throat. "I'll give you a fight!" The bartender rolled her eyes and backed away.

The man smiled as he pushed himself up from his stool. "I'll meet you outside."

I looked over at Ky and then to Delphine. "Let me handle this."

Delphine reached for my mead. "I'll settle for this."

Ky just purred, smiling. "I'll be watching."

I didn't have time to address her constant switching pronouns, so… I just waved it off. "See you two in a minute." I quickly left the tavern, with everyone looking at me as I did so. They were probably wondering if I was going to be coming back at all.

I exited the tavern, looking for the Titan. I found him waiting in the middle of the road. He was waiting for me in all his shirtless glory, the only thing he was wearing were his iron grieves… something I wish they'd bring back from Oblivion and Morrowind… the ability to mix and match armors. Or even wearing a robe over it all. I liked that stealth variant of doing that. I guess I can do that in this Skyrim. I'm happy to do that sometime. Maybe even put some armor over my mage robes.

I started stretching my muscles as I looked at the Titan. Guards were starting to watch us as they formed a perimeter. Onlookers were starting to form up near the guards, and people from the tavern were beginning to spill out, if not just to watch this guy pound the Argonian girl into Hist sap.

The Titan watched and waited as I stretched out. "So… what are the rules? Strict hand-to-hand? Weapons? Magic? Below the belt, face contact? Light contact, full contact?" I looked at the guy. "What's the limit here?"

The man seemed to mull it over. "No weapons… magic is fine." He waved it off. "Whole body is a legal target, grappling is acceptable, full contact. Contest is completed when one party is on their knees, panting for breath, but only on request. If you feel like you want to continue fighting, the other will wait. If you try to stand up and end up on the ground… and it seems like you are incapable of standing, that is grounds for losing. The only other way this ends is if someone says they're done, or if they're incapable of talking. No fighting to the death, and no death blows."

Ok… so… a standard sparring match minus the pulled punches, and groin and face were accepted targets. Not that it's stopped anyone in a sparring match before. "Sounds fine for me." Sparks danced on my fingers. "Ready when you are."

"You get the first hit." He replied, and that was his mistake. I activated my Monk power that allowed me to slow time, and at the same time, used my Force Power, or FP for now on, to speed up my body and strengthen my punches. I flew up to the immobile target and snapped my kick out. I made solid contact with his chest, and it felt like I was hitting a brick wall, but a brick wall that can feel pain and cries a lot. I didn't feel my knee snap, or my foot break. I felt like my foot exploded on contact, and not in the way that ends with me on the ground, screaming over my broken foot. The kind of explosion that would send this guy flying into a nearby building and smashing through it. That didn't happen though. I was still moving through the slow motion, and he wasn't moving at all yet. I had more time. I snapped my way through a tornado kick, finishing up with a back roundhouse to his chin. That's a knockout combo right there.

Time resumed and I watched as he absorbed all three kicks. I saw his chest concave, his right shoulder push inwardly, and then his face snapped as he felt the kick I handed to him. He stumbled off his feet, and reached up with his left hand to feel his jawline. He stood there puzzled for a second, rubbing his jaw, resetting it. He finally looked at me, smiling. "You're not bad."

I brought my fists up, protecting my face. This guy just took three Monk kicks enhanced by FP and MP (monk powers). I shouldn't be surprised, he is a Titan, I think. And there would be more from him than I could possibly give. If he took that the way he did, and that was just my opening act… one meant to put him down before he could become a threat… I'm not sure how dangerous this guy was.

The people watching us all had their jaws dropping at seeing me blur kick the guy three times. The guy smiled as he suddenly moved in for a punch. My MP snapped into action and he slowed down. I managed to dodge his attack, and used this time to slam my elbow into his stomach as I charged past him. I ended up behind him and used my FP to jump into the air, using his arm as a swing as I flipped onto his back. I brought my elbow down onto the top of his head several times, each one stronger than the last one.

My slow time ended faster than I would have liked, and I felt a hand grip me by the back of my tunic. I was suddenly being flipped out of the guy's neck, and ended up on the ground. He was wobbling, as if now feeling the several crashes to the back of his skull. Jeez… anyone else and they'd be on the ground by now, even without the Monk and Force powerups. He had me on the ground, and was lifting up his foot to smash me. I didn't have time to roll out of the way, so I stuck up my hand and blasted his face with Lightning. He took it without flinching, but it did stop him from snapping his foot at me. I took that as my cue to flip around to my chest and push myself back up.

Ky watched from the tavern banister, cheering me on. Delphine just watched with crossed arms. Recorder exited the store she was visiting, and saw me fighting the Titan. She rolled her eyes as she set the stuff she bought on the ground. She held up a small recording device. "Day 145, Dragonborn has picked a fight with a drunk Nord…"

I wanted to correct her, but the guy was already moving on me. He was launching out a kick of his own, and he was moving pretty quickly. I danced around his attack, and used the Force to push myself off the ground. I soared in the sky, landing on the roof of the tavern.

He watched me, smiling as he waved at me. "I'm waiting, Jedi wannabe."

I swallowed in fear. This guy… he's a giant impact shield. I screamed as I pushed off the roof, using whatever FP I had left in me to strengthen my body. I flew down at him, launching out my foot for a kick. He quickly reached out, grabbing my foot, but I guess I had the magick in me, because while he stopped my kick, he was being lifted off his feet. My kick was throwing him off his footing. Unfortunately, while he was moving in one direction, I was in the air… and that meant, I had no footing. He was heading one way, I was divebombing him, and heading in the opposite. I kicked him and that kick threw me into the ground. I slammed into it hard. He staggered a bit, fell onto his side, and rolled for a few seconds.

I was groaning, but I managed to roll myself onto my feet. The guy was starting to shake his head, pushing himself up onto his arm. He rolled up to his knees, and I felt like taking the opportunity to go charge him, but I remembered the rules. I had to wait until he was on his feet.

"Do you surrender?" I asked as he sat there on his knees.

He exhaled. "You're a spitfire." He said with a smile. "Small, deadly…" He pushed back onto his feet. "We're not done yet."

I could feel my FP wavering, as if I was running on empty. So that meant… my magick was basically drained. Not bad, that's for sure. If this were an actual fight, I'd say that I would be winning, but… here we are with this Titan.

He turned to face me. He pushed off, moving quickly enough that I just barely had enough time to bring my fists up to protect myself. He uppercut me, contacting both of my arms protecting my face. I was lifted off the ground, where his other fist snapped out at my arms, hitting me hard enough that I crashed into the ground. My back exploded into a forced exhale, and I tasted iron in my mouth. Gods, I hate that taste.

I looked up at the Titan. He just stood there, waiting for me to get back up. "Surrender?" He asked. He looked down at the magicka saber on my belt.

I couldn't give up this weapon. It wasn't mine, and I was stupid for thinking I could just… handle this fight. I rolled off my back onto my feet. I brought my fists up, shaky but… still up. I exhaled as I cracked my neck… or rather, tried to. I wanted to be intimidating as I delivered this line. "I can do this all day." Ten points if you get the reference.

I was welcomed to three quick successive jabs to my body, hitting me in the stomach, once in the face, and last one in my chest. I was lifted off my feet and throw across the ground by that last punch. Everyone at the tavern gasped as seeing me fly back into the ground as quickly as I did. And I had to admit… I really didn't feel like getting back up. I had the shit punched out of me, and my body didn't feel like continuing.

"You lost." The Titan said as he walked over to me. He reached down to grab the weapon. "I believe this is mine." He said with an amused smile as he unclipped it from my belt. He nodded a farewell to me as he started walking away. "Take care, Jedi wannabe."

I rolled around onto my chest, and exhaled. Fine… let's do this then. I grunted as I pushed myself back onto my feet. My legs were screaming at me, and my lungs were doubly so. Breathing sucks…

"Hey…" I grunted to him. "I never said I quit."

He snapped his head back to look at me. He smirked as he clipped the saber to his belt. "Well then, by all means." He brought his fists up. "Show me what you got."

I screamed as I poured all the FMP I had in me into my fists. I charged up to him, using my slow time thing one last time. He was a standing statue as I slammed my fully formed fist into his face. "One Punch Man!" I screamed as I charged through his face, landing behind him. Time unslowed, and I felt the wind roaring to life, blowing me off my feet as the Titan soared over my downed shoulders. He flew into the nearby pillar entrance for Falkreath, almost crashing through it. I heard him grunt as he fell to his knees.

I groaned as I stood up. The onlookers were still shocked at what they saw me do. I looked over to them, flashing them the 'V' for victory with a smile.

"That was pretty good." The Titan said. I glanced at him as a bright white light surrounded him. And I realized… he was healing himself. The impact marking on his face vanished and he picked himself off his knees. "But… do you surrender?" He picked the handle off his belt, holding it in his hand, and then… the beam snapped to life, a bright cyan light.

I stood there, completely shaken to my core. I held my hands up, signaling I was done. "Yeah… I'm done. I can't… beat you at my current level."

He smiled as he deactivated his new sword. "You did well." He rubbed his jaw again. "That last punch nearly knocked me out." He strolled up to me, clipping the sword to his belt. "Name's Gunnolf Stone-Eye." He stopped short of reaching me. "What's your name?"

I sighed as I looked up at him. "Talia Cearbhail."

"Very Redguard/Breton name." He mused.

I shrugged. "It is what it is." I reached out for a handshake. "You won. There is no way I could continue fighting at this point. I'm guessing each time I'd break you down… you'd just heal yourself and punch me in the face."

He nodded. "Yes. That is exactly how this was going to go, and I'm glad you realized that before you dragged this on to where you would be shamed in front of everyone. A good warrior must know when they've reached their limit… to know where they cannot go." He reached for the magicka saber, unclipped it from his belt, and then handed it to me. "You are on a mission. And there will be more like me. Only… not like me." He said, dropping his smile. "I'm a Tank… from the Fleet. Thrawn's troops took me, for I have what is called the blood of the ancients… ancient Jedi. They experimented on those like me, turning us into magick bruisers. We're made to take pain and dish it back out, and then heal when we get too hurt. I wanted you to see what you will be going up against, Dragonborn."

I came to a full pause. This whole sparring match… was a lesson? And that's when it hit me… I'm going to Bleak Falls Burrow first thing in the morning… to fight Thrawn. This one random guy just showed me how weak I really am… and I'm not only going to be fighting many versions of people like him… but Thrawn too. I was frozen in my boots.

"You're strong, fast…" He started speaking again. "You showed basic understanding of fighting, and you handle your kicks and punches well. Against Thrawn's numerous troops, most of them will fall to your fists quickly, but Tanks like me… we'll throw you to the ground and rip you in half. I could have, and I know the others can too." He placed the magicka saber in my hands. "Learn how to use that, and maybe you'll stand a chance. As far as I can tell, losing an arm or half my body will probably keep me from getting up and fighting you." He placed an arm on my shoulder. "Thrawn is scared of you, for reasons I cannot fathom, but… there is something odd about you. It's unfocused, raw… but it's there." He patted my shoulder before turning to leave. "I think I will come to Bleak Falls Burrow… see this for myself."

Recorder rolled her eyes as she walked over to me. "Really? Some other random person just sees you and thinks… wow, she's really cool. Should I ruin the surprise for him and tell him what you really are?"

I shrugged. "It's your life. I can't force you to tell him anything, or vice versa. I can ask nicely though." I looked over to Delphine. "I'm pretty hungry now."

Gunnolf glanced over to me, waving. "By the way, that 200 is yours. You earned it."

I felt disgraced hearing him say that. I didn't earn anything. I got my ass handed to me by a superior fighter who won, took my sword, handed it back to me, and then gave me his money. "Wait…" I called after him. "I know it's a lot to ask but…" I chased after him. He turned around as soon as I caught up with him. "I need more allies for the fight ahead. And…" I held up the magicka saber. "You know how to turn this thing on. I need to know stuff like this… and people like you."

He smiled. "To turn the saber on… you must use the Force, and feed it through the crystal. You don't need a lot, just enough that the saber knows you're one of us. From there, it's just a mental activation… like any Force spell. And for the recruitment… I will see you at Bleak Falls, with a friend of mine. I think he'll want to hear about you." He faced the exit and started walking away. "You're not alone, even if you feel like you are. You're just a big piece of an even bigger picture… just like a few of us." He mused as he walked away. "Skyrim's large, Cyrodiil larger, Tamriel larger still. And the galaxy, as we know it… is part of an even bigger plan. You have your part to play, Talia Cearbhail, as do I, and as do many others you will meet. We're all connected, even if we do not know how. That's just how the Force flows."

I nodded. "Yeah… Durarara…" What a great anime. It runs off a similar concept… a bunch of people in a town, all living their chaotic lives, and how they are connected in some way shape or form, and all this stuff happens, and things change, but remain the same, and it just goes into this chaotic balance of city life. I think that concept is kind of what Gunnolf is hinting at. So… I'm not the only person here then. Well, obviously not. In the game… I'm the main character. I'm the one making decisions that affect the game world indefinitely. What he's saying is that… I'm not the big deal around here. I'm just one of them. That's… concerning, but expected. I'll be careful.

I looked down at the saber and tried to focus some magick into the sword. So… it was like using crystal magick back home. And as I did it, I felt the sword respond to me, and the beam snapped to life, humming gently in my hands. I did it. My magicka saber works. The bright cyan beam looked beautiful, and I'm glad I had it. I was going to need it tomorrow.

I released my energy, or rather, deactivated the blade, and it fell silent. It felt nice knowing that my life is starting to get in order. I have 200 gold, and now… my magicka saber works. I may not be a master fighter yet, but… as I've learned, I will get better. I'm only just beginning my journey.

I looked over at Recorder, trying to smile through my smashed face. "So… did you enjoy that?"

She tapped her chin, and then smirked. "I don't know… why not have him punch you a few more times, and we'll see."

Jeez, my time with Recorder was supposed to be the highlight of this campaign, now she's just the bitch that wants to see me die. I guess I can live with that. Becoming her friend will be that grander of an experience.

I looked back at Delphine. "Ok so… how was I? On a scale of one to ten."

She tapped her chin. "Is there a zero in the equation? I'd go for negative two, but that's only because you should have heel-stomped him and then headbutted him for your starter move. Maybe kicked out his knees."

I guess that might have worked, but I wanted to do it as cleanly as possible. If I knew it was a test to see how good of a fighter I was, I would have been more creative. I guess tomorrow's the real test. My magicka saber and I have some early morning training to go through while we walk to Riverwood. If I'm like Rey, I can just swing my saber around like… for an hour or two and magically become an expert on everything involving the Force, and fighting master-level trained masters of the Force and lightsaber fighting. Yeah… I'm calling out Rey. It's BS how Disney made her a master by just doing leg squats and Korean sword forms that no one taught her in front of a rock pillar. Yeah, yeah… 'but the Force'… never taught Luke shit. Luke was instructed by Obi-Wan and later by Yoda in the basics, and then refined it through years of practice. And Anakin had his arm lobbed off before he actually got good. And he was trained before that moment by a younger and hotter Obi-Wan. What I'm saying is that Rey is a natural that can exist but… not in the way she was presented. It's possible if she was on that mountain for months, but she was there for days at most. The whole ships leaking space fuel while being chased by an Imperial cruiser was evidence of that. And don't get me started on lightspeed travel taking minutes or hours to get from one side of the galaxy to another. I'll leave that can of worms for whenever I get to fast-travel around Skyrim.

I looked at the bartender. "So… what's on the menu?"

She smirked at me. "For you, honey… anything."

That got a smile on my face. "Well, if that's the case."

I'm about to destroy Falkreath's food economy. Well, I am a Millennial… it's what we're good at apparently.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

By the way, I totally ate like everything in the tavern, and then got drunk, but only because me as an Argonian am not Irish and therefore... can get drunk, just not as easily because we absorb poison and that includes alcohol. Fun fact. Irish absorb poison, and so do Argonians. So... the only difference is that i'm totes not a lizard... on the outside. And... I can't breathe underwater. I can't even put my head underwater without freaking out. It's a... weird thing with me. Anyway. Next chapter.


	11. The Trial

**Ceabhail** :

This was fun. A lot of Fun. I'll explain down below. This will be a ride for everyone, me included.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

Gods… my back.

I groaned as I rose out of my newly purchased sleeping bag, stuffed with sheep wool. It's super comfortable, but even then, while I was sleeping, I must have rolled onto a rock, a rather big one too, and it settled right in that sore spot I had back when I was a human. Oh yeah… that was one of the benefits of living in this digital world, my human problems didn't translate over. So, my horribly wrecked back from doing too much martial arts on a heavy bag didn't follow me over. I was happy for that, especially since fighting would be a hard thing for me to do with those limitations.

I rolled myself and my bag away from the lump of rock on the floor, and instantly thought about closing my eyes and just… falling back asleep. It's hard to tell what hour it is in this cold dark temple. It's the same dim level of light that comes from the green glowing fires. It's… mesmerizing, but also distracting. And as I sat there, half-asleep, half-awake, I felt the building pressure that meant I had to pee. I groaned as I threw myself back to the floor.

"Shut up, bladder." I pleaded with my mind, and closed my mind.

 _Pee…_ My mind whispered to me.

"No…" I tossed onto my side. Maybe that will alleviate the pressure. There's no bathroom in this temple, at least not one that I know of. Merak was smart… he would have built one.

After three more seconds of feeling that pressure building, I finally groaned and sat up. Fine… you win, bladder… just like always.

I threw the warm covers of my stuffed sleeping bag off me and pushed myself onto my feet. My knees cracked, my arms ached… and my body slowly began to remind me that I was thrashed just last night. My face was still throbbing where I took that punch from that Titan.

I picked up my magicka saber and started trudging my way through the halls. The halls were dark, and I don't have night vison, so I fed magicka into my beam sword and it snapped to life. The bright cyan beam was hard on my eyes that just woke up at… whatever the fuck in the morning it was, but it was bright enough that I could see everything in the hallway. The shadows from the pillars danced off into the darkness, and with the green torches, the area had that haunted house vibe going on, and my cyan beam wasn't adding a warmness to it. I'm just glad I don't have a red beam sword… otherwise, I'd expect Freddy or Mike… or even Pennywise to be creeping up behind me.

That's when I felt it, a hand on my back. My first instinct was to scream and run for my life. My second instinct was to release my bladder. Guess which one won out. If you thought it was my bladder… you were wrong. I brushed the hand off and ran, screaming like the temple was out to kill me. "I'm not ready, Obi-Wan Kenobi!" I screamed as I took off in a mad dash.

"Where are you running to?" I heard Ky behind me, and I turned to look for her, but all I saw were glowing amber eyes. That scared me even more, and logically, I think I knew it was her, but I was already in the mood for a late-morning run, so I took off screaming again.

I ran through the temple as fast as I could, ducking behind every pillar I could, trying to find a way away from the pair of eyes following me. And… to find a bathroom. That was also on my hit list.

As I rounded a pillar, Ky popped out of nowhere, landing in front of me. "Wait… did I scare you?"

I came to a dead stop, and I was running out of breath. "Ky… be careful, there's an invisible set of eyes stalking me."

She nodded. "That was me."

Oh good, I thought someone bad was chasing me… or a Jedi ghost. That would have been worse. I don't think I could sit restfully on a toilet knowing that Obi-Wan, old or young, could just randomly show up in front of me, watching me…

I patted Ky on her shoulder. "Thank the gods, it was just you, Ky. I'm still a little… worried about today."

"I was actually told to come find you. Delphine is packing up as we speak. She thinks we should head out." Ky replied with a smile. "And… if you're looking for the bathroom… it's over here." She directing me over to a small narrow walkway, one that wasn't lit by any torches. I still had my magicka saber lighting up the corridor, but there wasn't anything but this empty hallway.

"Um… are you sure?" I felt Ky's hand on my back, but when I turned to look at her, I found nothing behind me, not even her amber eyes. And yet… I could still feel her hand on my back.

"Yes… _I'm sure…"_ Ky's voice turned more serpentine, morphing into a nightmarish version of something I'd hear in Harry Potter. I came to a dead stop, but my feet started sliding against the floor. I felt something pulling on me, and I was suddenly falling through the hallway, like gravity had shifted, and I was falling into the darkness. My magicka saber flicked off, and the darkness consumed me. Then I felt something penetrate my core.

…

"Bill Cosby, no!" I screamed as I threw myself out of my sleeping bag. The first thing I realized… I was still in my sleeping bag, and that… that was a dream. The second thing I realized… I still had to pee. Somehow… the second thing superseded the fact that I didn't want to leave the safety of my sleeping bag. Feck.

…

After a small trip to the ladies' room, yes… we found a bathroom, and since there weren't any men in the party right now… the only bathroom is now the ladies' room, I slowly waddled my way back to my sleeping bag. I say waddled because dragging my feet would have been too hard for my sore leg muscles. As I walked back to my sleeping bag, I felt like something was watching me… but I just had that nightmare, and I don't care who you are, after a nightmare like that… you always feel watched immediately afterwards. Doesn't help I've encountered spirits and what people call demons before… that definitely doesn't help in these situations.

I looked over my shoulder, hoping to see Ky sneaking up behind me like she did in my nightmare, but I didn't see her, or her glowing amber eyes. Or any other kinds of eyes either. I had to mentally slap my face before turning to head back to the relative safety of my stuffed sleeping bag. I still have a lot of things to consider… like why Argonians have breasts but not nipples. Do I even need a bra at this point? They certainly don't feel like normal breasts either. They feel… muscular but squishy muscular. I should have noticed earlier, but I didn't want to think about it. It's like… two in the morning. This is when stupid thoughts are thought.

 _Come…_ I heard a light whisper licking the inside of my inner ear canal. It was light enough that it made the scales on my back stick up, and I suddenly realized that a dead sprint back to my sleeping bag while screaming at the top of my lungs and waving my hands like Kermit the Frog was not a bad exercise for two in the morning.

I took off in a dead sprint, waving my hands over my head while screaming for Delphine or Ky to come and save me. Recorder would probably just scorn me and tell me to go invade the demon's body or something like that. "Delphine! Ky! Bill Cosby's after me again!" I screamed as I ran through the halls.

I don't know where I was running, because everything looked different, and as I saw a shadow morphing in front of me, I dashed down a narrow hallway, one not lit by any torches. One that seemed… too familiar. Shite. I just went down the nightmare corridor, didn't I?

I reached for my saber handle, finding nothing but the ragged clothing belt I used to keep my pajamas tied. Great… Argonian girl, in the dark… wearing what amounts to a loose tunic shirt, without her weapon, in a narrow alleyway in the dark… in her nightshirt. Fuck me. That's exactly what's going to happen.

Well, I'm not going out without a good fisting. "Come on, bitch! I've banished demons for breakfast! You don't have shite on them!" I screamed, readying my fists for a fight with incorporeal figures.

I snapped my head around, hoping to see anything, but the dark corridor was just that… dark. I hated sacrificing a hand for this… but it seemed ironic that I summoned flames to my hand. "My flaming fist will pound you a new hole!" I screamed as I waved my clenched fire fist in the air. "I can make it burn all the way to the elbow!" Deadpool would be proud of me.

The fire on my hand burned away, lighting up the hallway far enough that I could see the shadows dancing in the dark walls. I must have stumbled into the dark sanctum… the dark side of the temple. I've been keeping myself away from here, for various reasons, but dark side ghosts are one of them. Basically… Force demons.

I heard something behind me, like a quick footstep, and I snapped my head around, throwing my fist out, blasting a wave of fire down the corridor. I snapped my head back around, and staring me in the face was Venom from Spiderman. It was a dark shadow with even darker eyes. Its head started stretching open, the mouth's shadow stretching out like Soul Eater's mouth whenever he eats souls.

I'm not stupid. I'm not just going to stand here and watch this demon thing do whatever it's doing. I snapped my foot out, blasting fire with one hand, lightning with the other. The magicka overwhelmed the figure and it quickly vanished, melting into the light created from the flames.

And there I was… standing in the dark corridor, breathing heavily as I looked around for more shadows to bust into nothing. "I still have a hot fist! Who wants some?" I screamed through the nothing.

 _You are full of fear…_

I snapped around, blasting the hallway with as much fire as I could summon.

 _Fear of dying…_

I sent lightning to every corner I could find. I couldn't just stand here. I had to get moving. Back the way I came. As I turned around… I realized… I've snapped around several times since I got here. I don't know which was is which. The wall looks the same on both ends. Feck, fecking feck!

I could feel the walls closing in on me, the darkness closing in on me. Feck. Not this… anything but this! I hate enclosed spaces! I hate dark places, narrow hallways… all of it!

 _Fear of fighting… losing…_

I screamed, summoning as much fire as I could. I blasted the hallway in both directions, shooting the fire as far as I could. I was hoping I could at least illuminate an exit of some kind. I didn't see a difference. Fuck it, Tabby… just… run down one of them. If you reach a dead end, you can curl into a ball and cry to death. If you find an exit, you can go curl into a ball and cry to death but in the safety of your sleeping bag!

I took off in a sprint down the hallway, keeping my flaming fist in front of me. A shadow morphed in front of me, and it took me by surprise enough that I fell on my butt, screaming as it passed by overhead.

 _Tabby…_

I snapped around, blasting lightning out at whatever just said my fecking name. And as I saw what I just blasted, I could see Ky standing there, clutching her stomach. She looked like she was in shock, and as she pulled her hands away, I could see the blood dripping onto the floor.

"Why…" She muttered out before falling to the ground.

"Ky!" I screamed running for her, but she was already fading away into the same darkness the spirts made up.

 _Fear of losing friends…_

"Ugh!" I screamed, blasting more fire around the hallway. "Shut up! Just show up and let me fecking kill you!"

 _Fear of the inevitable…_

I heard footsteps in the dark, and I lit my hands on fire. Finally. Let's get this over with.

"You are quite the spectacle, young… Argonian?" A military haircut with blue skin said as he walked up to me. His red eyes were glowing in the light of my fire, and my jaw dropped when I realized that Thrawn was walking up to me.

"So… this is your doing." I growled as I blasted my fire at him.

Just as my fire hit him, he was gone, and the hallway was dark again.

 _Fear of being sued by Disney._

Yeah… I think _everyone_ should be scared of Disney. That's a logical fear. But in fairness… they stole Thrawn from another content creator instead of making their own badass villain. So… yeah. Feck… I'm really no better. Dammit!

"Yeah! I'm afraid! Of lots of things! Everyone is. You think that will keep me from acting? Just come out and see for yourself!" I screamed into the void as I started walking forward.

That's when it happened. A small two-foot elf appeared, and I instantly recognized Yoda. "Fear is the path to the dark side! Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate… leads to suffering."

Before I could even comment on why Yoda was here, he was already vanishing. "Ok… that was pretty cool. Not going to lie. Still though, come on out where I can blast you!"

 _Fear of zombies…_

Oh… fuck no. We're not doing that. I started pinching my arms. If this is a fecking dream, I'm waking the feck up, right now.

I felt something behind me, something lurking. I turned around, shooting lightning and fire at it. A bright blue beam appeared from nowhere, illuminating a man dressed in deep red robes. The kind the Dunmer in Ravenrock wore. The Dunmer outfit, I think it was called.

 _There is no emotion, there is peace._

What? The man standing there, absorbed my magicka attack with his magicka saber, and I could see now just how it actually absorbed all magicka casted at it. I think I will remember that. The feeling emanating from the Jedi was calming, like I was safe with him around me. As the man approached me, I felt a nasty feeling at my back.

 _Peace is a lie, there is only passion._

I snapped around, seeing a glowing red blade approaching me, a man with yellow glowing eyes approaching me. There was a feeling that the calm feeling surrounding me was a front, a placebo for the very real danger that surrounded me, and that if I kept myself ready, and knowing that I was always in danger… that I would be better prepared for any threat that might come for me.

I looked from the apparent Sith Lord to the Jedi Knight, trying my best to keep between the two. I mean… I would feel safer behind the Jedi, but… they have a very… biased opinion on everything. All the same, if I don't attack him, there's a 50 percent chance he won't attack me, unless he thinks I'm somehow a threat to him.

I glanced from him to the Sith. They're never safe, even when they're your allies. I would be a means to an end, and if I was a threat to his success or grandeur… same deal, only closer to 90 percent chance of death.

I looked at the two as they stood right at opposite sides of me, each one trying their best to pull me over to them with their power in the Force.

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._ The Jedi's mind reached out to me, trying to show me there were possibilities for expanding my growing mind in this foreign world, and that through the Force, all this was possible. And with people like Thrawn running around, I would need a lot of knowledge on how to best defend against him, and protect my friends.

 _Through Passion, I gain strength._ The force of his will pressed into me, and I could feel the strength of his will on me. I had to admit, he was pretty powerful, and I would need power if it meant overcoming people like Thrawn.

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._ I wasn't really sure what to make of that line, and it always left me scratching my head whenever I heard it. I had it explained to me, but… the thought that serenity and passion were opposites of each other confused me immensely. I guess in the case of a strong emotional reaction, you must become calm, but… that goes along with the first line, there is no emotion… there is peace. So… it's just a rephrasing. Leave it to the Jedi for that one.

 _Through Strength, I gain Power._ I felt a heavy tug on me from the Sith, one that was almost pulling me off my feet, and the gravity surrounding him… the Force of his pull on me… it was beginning to overwhelm me. He wanted me, and he was going to pull me to his side, even if I didn't want it. And he was using my own emotions… my fear of being incapable of fighting Thrawn, my fears of losing… everything…. He was using those emotions to pull me to him, to the power he represented. And to be honest… I could taste it. I could taste what he was offering me, and I _liked_ it.

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._ The pull of the Sith was lessened, as the calming light from the Jedi started to wash over me, and the gravity of the Sith was lessened as the Jedi radiated his energy away from me, actually dissipating the Sith's hold over my emotions. I felt calm again, like I was able to make my own choices, and see things from a larger picture. Sith… they always end up going bad… like… not evil bad, that's pretty obvious, but… like… ending friends, family, hurting themselves in ways they would have killed themselves for if they were ever in the right state of mind. I didn't want to do that to myself. No one should… even if the ends justify the means, which I only agree with when those means affect yourself and no one else.

 _Through Power, I gain Victory._ The overwhelming pull of the Sith erupted out, hitting me so hard that I was shoved off my feet, losing all my footing. His pull over me physically grabbed ahold of my feet and started dragging me over to him. As I drifted closer and closer to him, the bright blue light of the Jedi's lightsaber became overshadowed by the red of the Sith's, and as I looked over my shoulder for the Jedi… he wasn't there. And I ended up at the feet of the Sith, who stood over me, as big as a Titan, and dressed like a Mongolian warlord.

I swallowed as I remembered the last bit of the Jedi Code. _There is no Death… there is the Force._ I was suddenly at the end of this journey, at the foot of the Sith that was able to pull me to him. If felt nothing from the Jedi Knight that helped defend me… and I was left here to face the Sith on my own. The Sith's lightsaber was pointed down at my chest, and I knew that there was no defense for this. If he decided to kill me… that would be it. I would die… and there would be the end of my journey… once and for all.

And yet… as I sat there, waiting… I saw that the Sith wasn't moving. There was this energy surrounding him, holding him still. That's when it clicked… the Force was holding him at bay. I started to scoot myself away from him, trying my best to make my way over to the Jedi. I could just barely see the blue light of his lightsaber. If I could just get over to him… maybe I would have a chance of leaving this place alive.

 _Through Victory… My Chains are Broken._ Oh… shite. That's right. That's the next line. I glanced over my shoulder to see the Sith pushing through the Jedi's Force control, physically breaking the Force chains used to shackle his power and his hold. As he did so, he reached out, and I felt something grip my neck, and my ability to breathe was suddenly gone.

Feck… I'm choking. Shite.

 _The Force shall free me._ The Sith finished.

I felt the Force still choking down on me, holding me still as the air in my lungs began to build. So… is this how it ends for me?

I turned to the Sith guy holding me. "I will not be killed by a quazi nazi code of ethics based on a book written by a short guy with a horrible mustache!" I screamed a ki up as I threw my own will into the mix. I blasted my own energy at them both, exerting my own will.

"Strength is life, for only the strong have the right to rule themselves. Honor is life, for without honor, you might as well be dead. Loyalty is life, for without your friends.. your clan… you have nothing to hold onto! Death is life! You should die as you lived, so live your fecking life the best you can, without regrets, and without compromising your other values. Do not be disloyal to your clan, do not compromise your honor, and do not falter, for your strength is what builds the core of your will." I looked at the two masters. "You're not the only feckers that spout words! Mine are my own, and I will own them. So… here's a fecking code for you both! There is no Dark Side, nor a Light Side, there is only the Force! I will do what I must to keep the balance. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish to unreasonable levels. There is passion, yet peace. There is serenity, yet emotion. They still mean the same fecking thing, but whatever! There is Chaos, yet Order! I am the wielder of the flame, the protector of balance. I am the holder of the torch lighting the way! I am the keeper of the flame, a soldier of balance. Somehow… this code needs flames for some reason! I am a guardian of balance; I am a Gray Badass."

Literally, in this case. My scales are black, gray, with purple soft tones.

I stood there, caught right in the middle of the two forces. "Both of your factions are stupid. The Jedi are supposed to be protectors, but their definition of protecting the universe changes with every war. From the Knights of the Old Republic where they refused to go to war because the Jedi… don't fight wars, to the Clone Wars where they gladly considered killing the leader of their government if it meant killing one Sith guy. So… thousands of people died on worlds while Mandos invaded the Republic, and the Jedi did _nothing,_ but would gladly kill their own leader if it meant killing some guy hiding in the shadows without proof! Hypocrites to the very code they so proudly spout: no ignorance but knowledge; inner peace, not emotion. And Sith are no better. Their whole belief is that only the strong should survive as the Lords, and that all others beneath them are just pawns in some game for whatever reason. There was this whole thing of one master, one apprentice. The Master teaches the apprentice… and then the apprentice kills him one day. For no reason other than he wants to be the one in control, and the master won't let him grow too strong, otherwise… the apprentice might become a threat and then… they'll try to kill each other. Yeah… great way to make sure the whole Sith way continues to live on. I'm not sure how they survived thousands of years with that attitude, but it's not for me. I'm no Jedi… I care too much, and feel too much. I'm no Sith, I'm too loyal to my friends, to my masters, to everyone I meet. I tread the fine line between action and thought, planning and executing, feeling and thinking. Neither of you have anything to offer me, and yet… everything to teach me. I will walk both paths shallowly enough that I can learn from both faction's mistakes, and gain their knowledge. Because that's the path I walk, the path of the Gray Witch. A badass Sass with a quick mouth, a fast brain, and hard fists."

Both the Jedi and the Sith just continued to stand there, their lightsabers lighting up their sides of the hallways. And as I watched, they started to fade away, as if they were never there. I was soon left inside the narrow hallway, as if they were never there. I continued to stand there, waiting for something else to happen. The corridor was actually quiet for a second, and it was in this second that I heard some light humming ahead.

I sighed as I continued down the dark corridor, placing my hand on the wall as I walked on, trying my best to continue seeing where I was going. I was tired of keeping my flames spell going, and I needed a few seconds to catch my breath after having that match against both the Jedi and the Sith guy. The humming I heard was getting closer, and I thought I could see something up ahead. I could barely tell though, but the purple lines seemed to outline a cube. Could be a holocron. I should go see.

I quickly rushed over to it, even stopping to look at it before squatting down to examine it. I reached down, picking it up. It felt heavy… really heavy. While the other holocron I held, the one I unlocked, felt like it was nothing in my hands, this one felt like it held a whole world of power inside it. The holocron was outlined with glowing dark purple runes, and that really spoke to me on a deep level. I love purple, my favorite color. The combination of blue and red… the two colors of calm collectedness, and the color of passion and emotion. Kind of like what I saw in the Jedi and the Sith just earlier. I wish my magicka saber was violet… that would be the perfect color for my blade, and once I can manage it… I just might make it myself.

I finished my examination of the holocron and brought my thumb to the button that would open it. And once I did so… I would learn the secrets inside it. Did I want that though? I wanted whatever I could learn if it helped me defeat Thrawn. So… whatever was inside… would it help me? I don't know, but there's only one way to find out. I pushed the button, and the holocron snapped open, a bright purple light flashing into my eyes.

 _Talia…_

 _Talia…_

 _Wake up!_

I felt a push on my shoulder, and I snapped my eyes open. Recorder was standing over me. "You're finally awake. Come, get up and get dressed. It's time for us to get packed." Her lips broke into a sick and twisted smile. "Thrawn is waiting for you."

I'm beginning to wonder who the real Sith is in this group. Ky or her. I'm not sure.

I nodded as I started to sit up. And that's when I felt it… I still had to pee.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

So, I used the following codes: The Jedi Code, the Sith Code, the Mandalorian Code, and the Gray Jedi Code. I tried to look up the Echani Code... but I guess there isn't one. Someone needs to write a book about Echani, like how we have Mandalorians with their own culture, we need Echani culture! Represent! Anyway, I'm sure which Force Power I've just unlocked. See you next chapter.


	12. Meeting with Thrawn

**Ceabhail** :

This is a long chapter. IT DID NOT GO how I wanted it to go. This is not what I was planning AT ALL. But... character make my stories... not the other way around. So... I'm so sorry for how this ends.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"Can we stop for a few seconds?"

I was already stopping, dropping to my knees. We've been walking for hours, and… I'm getting tired. We left the temple first thing, only having a small bathroom break before heading out. I was happy for that. I can't imagine walking four hours with a full bladder. We've been on the road for the past six hours walking on the same dirt path we walked on yesterday, and my body was still sore from the fight I experienced last evening. Not to mention… I'm walking with more stuff than I was on the way down. I have a backpack now, more like a field pack, with a sleeping bag strapped to the bottom of it. I have a full waterskin hanging on the backpack too, as well as some field rations filling a small portion of my bag. What I'm saying is… I have stuff now. And that weights a lot. Currently my only possession is the 130 gold I have left over from my buying spree, and my spell book. Also… I kind of looted the dead corpses of the Jedi in the temple. I have some Jedi robes that kind of… might fit me, more or less. I'm going to alter them later so that I can insert my tail into them. They kind of look like the expert robes from the College, but brown instead of teal. The underlayer and pants were a tan color. I wish I had green scales right now, because that would look awesome with green scales. If I can… I think I'm going to redesign my scales with that face changer in Riften.

Ky was also sporting new clothes today. She was dressed in what looked like Sith robes, and I'm wondering where she found those. Her robes kind of look like Anakin's from the second movie, if you can imagine that. She seemed happier than usual, humming something under her breath as she skipped ahead of the rest of us, oblivious to the fact that I just said I needed to stop.

Delphine glanced back at me, arching her eyebrows. "Really?" She pointed up to the pathway leading right up to the watchtower outside of Bleak Falls Burrow. "We're almost there."

I nodded. "Yeah… that's kind of the point."

Recorder chuckled a bit. "What? Scared or something?"

I nodded again. "Yeah… that's kind of the point!" I looked over to her. "I know you don't get it… but…" I shrugged. "I don't want to die! And yesterday did a horrible number on me. That guy… that _monster_ I sparred with… I gave everything I was to fighting him, and… I lost _bad_. And he basically told me… Thrawn's army is filled with people like him. Some might even be stronger than him. I don't know!"

Delphine glanced over to me. "Well… you're the seeress. Do a small scan with your psychic mind."

Oh yeah… I totally forgot I claimed I was one of those. "Thrawn has a way of ruining that." I looked to her. "Thrawn is something that exceeds my gift. He's too… inescapably unpredictable. I can just stand here and predict ten futures where he wins using different schemes, and if I step on a stone somehow different than I did in that vision with ten futures, 60 more will pop up. Thrawn is impossible to predict." I grabbed my head, just trying to think of something I could do to defeat Thrawn. "So far… I haven't figured out a single way of beating him… save one." I looked back up at Delphine. "And we need Hadvar here to do it. He has that scribe with my personal scroll. We have to wait for them anyway." I looked over at the team. "Okay, so… here's the plan. Ky, I want you to go to Riverwood, see if Hadvar's there. If he's not, tell the kids to direct him up to here for us. He has a cousin there, a boy who has a dog. I forget his name."

Ky nodded and pulled up her dark brown hood. She smirked as she suddenly vanished, and all I could see was the rocks being kicked up as she slid down the side of the mountain. Okay… she's awesome.

I looked over to Recorder. "How are you holding up?"

She sat down, rubbing her foot. "Honestly? I'm tired." She pulled out her own personal scroll. "And let's be honest. I'm only level 6, and that's not all that impressive. I'm a glorified newbie, with obsidian swords."

Delphine crossed her arms. "I'm level 30, and I'm pretty ashamed of that fact." She shook her head. "I was level 10 when Cloud Ruler Temple was attacked, and I watched in horror as my fellow Blades were wiped away. If only I had spent more time leveling up my skills."

I started shaking my head. "This is insane. Levels? I…" I couldn't stop shaking my head. "How? How is that logical? How can there be levels?"

Delphine looked at me, shocked at my question. "The body adapts and grows… the leveling system is just that… a system for tracking your growth as a person. As you use magicka, your magicka gets stronger. As you train your body, your heath and stamina become greater. As you practice your core skills, your ability to use those skills becomes greater. The Personal Scroll is just a reading device that scans your aura to figure out how it's best shown in numbers based on the Talon Mana Scale." She pulled out her own scroll, walking over to me. She sat down next to me, showing me an image of herself standing in the Scroll. I could see her health bar, her magicka bar, and her stamina bar. I could see that her stamina was only minorly depleted. "We've been walking for a while, so as you can see, this scroll is telling me that I'm getting tired." She pulled out a small knife. "Now, watch this…" She drew a line across her arm, and I watched as her health dropped by 5 points. "Now, if I ran this sword through my arm, I'd likely be in the danger zone. Now… look here." She showed me her image. I could see a red blur forming over her virtual image. "This shows me where I'm hurt. If I have a broken leg, this would tell me. If I had a splinter, this _might_ tell me. These scrolls are great for healers for focused healing sessions, and I'm able to check my blood pressure, blood sugar, anything going on with my body really."

Wow… that's pretty cool. And if that's true… then my Personal Scroll wouldn't be something exclusive, as in… I wouldn't need to use it to level up… it's just a thing that naturally happens. "Okay… what about perks?"

Delphine's eyebrows shot up. "You don't know about the scrolls but you know about perks?"

I nodded. "Yup." Please don't ask how.

Recorder snorted but kept her mouth shut.

Delphine sighed. "The scrolls are linked to your aura, right? Well, think of perks like spells casted on your body. And from there, it alters your body's ability to adapt better. Is… is that what you were asking?"

I nodded. "Yup." And… explained away. Great. Now it makes sense to me. "Okay, last question. Who the fuck thought adding perks was a good idea?"

"Emperor Mede." Delphine replied. "After the Thalmor almost destroyed the Empire. He thought whoever survived would need an edge against repeat wars. So far… it's worked. The perk advancements are pretty powerful stuff, and without proper leveling, could have actually led to more harm than without reaching proper levels so… they're locked until the scroll sees you've acquired a certain level. That being said… having too many can also destroy your body so… it's limited to one perk per level obtained."

Wow… that's some classy bullshit, but I'll accept it. "So… you don't manually add points to your magicka or health… or whatever?"

She shook her head. "No… it just… goes up on its own as you grow."

Well… that means I have to go through the motions of getting stronger myself. Time to do some squats and pushups. I wonder if meditation will improve my ability to hold magicka or if it's just spraying magicka everywhere. My newfound Jedi powers should have boosted that somewhat.

"Ky is reporting in." Ky said as she walked up, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. "Hadvar is not in Riverwood."

I sighed as I stood up. "Well, I'm sure we could sit here and wait, but…" I looked around, scanning the scenery. I didn't see any signs of movement. I looked up to Bleak Falls Tower. I could see it smoldering from where I was standing. "I know the Resistance was sheltered there. Thrawn must have destroyed it." I looked over to Delphine, then to Recorder, and to Ky. "You three should get somewhere safe. I'll go alone."

Delphine's eyebrows shot up. "Do you know what you're asking? You're planning on going up alone. You don't even know what level you are… and you have no perks at all. You're walking into a trap knowingly with barely any training, only one weapon, one actually useful spell…"

"Four useful spells." I replied. "Slow Time, Enhancement, Shocks, and Healing." I replied. "And I have a lightsaber." I looked down at my magicka saber. "Besides, I'm planning ahead. Ky, I need you in case things go wrong. Record… you know why you can't come with me, right?"

She crossed her arms. "Afraid I'll leave you to die or something like that?"

I shook my head. "Not really. More like… if Thrawn figures out what _you_ are… he'll try to get your abilities for himself."

Her eyes widened. "Um… yeah, that would be bad."

"Exactly." I looked at Delphine. "And if you went with me, you're risking getting captured. The Blades would be done for good. Take Ky, and if things go wrong, go find Esbern in Riften. Once again, Brynjolf will know where to find him. If I make contact with Thrawn, feel like I've lost, and stuff… I'll shoot a Flare into the sky. That should be your cue to escape. Okay?"

Delphine nodded. "Okay, and if that happens, and I make contact with anyone else… we'll blow up Bleak Falls."

I smirked. "That sounds like a good time to me."

I nodded as I started walking up the stony path leading up to Bleak Falls Burrow. My feet trembled with each step, and as I got a few steps, I looked back at my new friends. Well, two friends and a bitter frenemy. I exhaled as I marched up the cold mountain, keeping my eyes on the Bleak Falls Tower. It only took me a few minutes to reach it, and once I did, I could see the damage. There were dead Chiss thrown across the bridge, splattered across the walls. It was… sickening. I sighed as I continued up, not even stopping by to check the survivors. I knew better than to think that any of them just walked away from this.

I walked in a mindful haze, just putting one foot in front of the other until I found myself standing right on the stone steps leading up to the Burrow. Wow… I don't even remember walking this way. And to get here without any conflicts is something else. Is Thrawn even here? I swallowed as I pushed myself to take the first step. Okay, Talia… either you're going to go up here and kick ass, or you're going to die. Either way… everything is about to change. If I am a prophet or a seeress… those words can mean anything, and I'm anxious to find out just how screwed up this is.

The Burrow was covered with a thick mist, one that obscured most of what I could see. I was literally walking in blind. Feck it. I looked around the raised plateau, and I could see red eyes watching me from the pillars. Okay… snipers. Got it. They already have me in their sights. I spread my arms out, showing them all that I knew that they were there.

"Well… here you go! Take your best shot!" I screamed up to the Chiss archers. "You want the fecking world to end, you fire that bow!" More and more red eyes started showing up in the thick mist.

"Now, now… that is highly unnecessary." I heard Thrawn's voice. I saw him appearing in the mist, walking down the stone stairs. "Please, watch your language. There are innocent minds present."

I readied my Force Enhancement, readied my Slow Time spell, and activated them both at once. Time came to a standstill and I sped up, growing stronger and faster than I was yesterday. I took off in a mad dash, running up the stairs. I reached for my saber, activated it, and charged for Thrawn. As I got closer to him, I felt a heavy vibration setting in, one that was shoving me back, slowing me down. Each step I took, it was hitting me harder and harder, until finally, I was lifted off my feet and held immobile in the air, like that scene from Scott Pilgrim where the vegan just… holds him there. It kind of felt like that.

Time snapped back to normal, and Thrawn was just a few feet away from me. I was so close to killing him! Just another two feet and the tip of my laser sword would be in his chest. I fucked it up! Thrawn didn't even look impressed by my screw up. It just looked like it was part of his plan. Just as I expected. I should have known better than to think that I could just… out-think him with Plan A. And Plan Z is just as unlikely to work. I need to become obscure. Plan Zed then.

"You have done well." Thrawn replied. "Come, would you join me for some tea?"

"Fuck you and your tea." I spat out.

Thrawn's smirk didn't waver, but he did narrow his eyes. "I did ask you to mind your language. Think of the children." He replied with a hint of malice. Was he planning on killing children if I didn't play along? Wait… Riverwood. He didn't take the people there hostage, did he? Well, so much for Plans B through 124.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine… what kind of tea is it?"

That brought a thick smile to his sick face. "Canis root, I believe is the standard in these parts?" He started walking away, and I started floating after him, incapable of doing anything else. Shab… this is something else. I can't even wiggle around.

"Would you believe me if I said I had to use the bathroom?" I tried my best to shift around, but it was no use. I was stuck in some kind of gravity warp thingy.

Thrawn did that smart person single chuckle/grunt thing. You know the one. He turned to look at me, clasping his hands behind his back. "There will be time for that, Dragonborn."

"I never said I was the Dragonborn." I replied back. "I am just a Jedi come to save her master."

Thrawn glanced over my shoulder. "I would recommend you be truthful. The Dragonborn is the one I seek, and if you are not her… you are of no use to me. And now that you've deemed me a target, I cannot just let you walk away after discovering your…" He glanced at my magicka saber's tip. "aggressive tendencies."

"Give me Merak Bashee and I'll be on my way." I replied back.

"Really?" Thrawn kept walking, and I was still floating behind him. We finally reached a lone table set with two chairs, a long white cloth draped over the table, a candlestick that was already lit, and two sets of plates, a picnic basket filled with delicious-looking bread, and finally, a bottle of good-looking wine. "If you're so keen on leaving, you'll miss the meal."

Feck. He knows the exact buttons to push. I sighed. "I cannot eat while trapped in this… whatever this is."

Thrawn almost chuckled. "If I release you, do you pledge to keep your sword to yourself?"

"Do you?" I offered back.

If he caught my message, he didn't show it. He nodded. "Aggression is always my last resort."

…

Says every guy ever.

Well, I certainly couldn't fight my way out of here; I can't even set up a signal flare so… that's already out of the picture. Playing along for now is probably my best bet. I finally sighed. "Fine, I'll play along. Release me and… I guess I'll join you for tea and crumpets. That's a word, right?"

Thrawn shrugged. "I am certain it is somewhere." Well, that was an actual answer to my sarcastic question. I was just trying to wit with him a bit, but… he's unwitable. I'm sure _that's_ not a word.

I was about to explain the joke to him but the gravity holding me still was suddenly gone, and I was falling onto my legs, my magicka saber almost taking a plunge into the hard stonework. Huh… can I cut through stone with a lightsaber? I've always wanted to try. But… I also don't want to destroy the lightsaber so…

I looked up at Thrawn. "You're so trusting."

He glanced down at my saber for a second before looking me in the eyes. "There is nothing you can do to intimidate me, Dragonborn. There is nothing you can do here that I have not already planned for."

I smirked as I lifted the saber to my own throat. "Are you sure about that?"

I had to admit, that got a reaction out of him. And he seemed to understand the situation we were both in. He almost looked worried but then he broke into a grin. He reached for the bridge of his nose as he turned away, holding in a chuckle. And I was left standing there with a glowing welding torch sitting right up to my throat. And… it wasn't hot, at least not yet. That's some impressive vibrational frequency technology right there.

Thrawn finally finished his laugh and turned to look at me. "Dragonborn, might we put an end to these…" He snapped his fingers and my saber suddenly deactivated. "childish games?"

I was left, kneeling on the ground, a dead weapon in my hands. I sighed as I placed my saber on my belt. "Okay… that's…"

"Not something you thought I could manage?" Thrawn finished my thought. "I hear it so often from rebellious leaders who think they've outsmarted me." He gestured to the table. "I see only one path where this goes well for you, Dragonborn. And it begins with dinner."

I sighed, standing up. "Okay, I'll play along. But… just because you bought dinner does not mean I'm eating out tonight."

He mentally rolled his eyes at me as his expression deadpanned. "So crass."

I stuck out my forked tongue. "Hey… you didn't know who you were dealing with."

I walked over to the table, sitting in the chair after checking it for thumbtacks or some kind of remote bomb. Thrawn waited patiently behind his chair while I did my search for anything that could be used against me.

When I finished my inspection, I pulled out the chair, expecting to see the world explode, or a town or two, and then I sat down, sighing as I shimmied the chair closer to the table. I looked up at Thrawn who was now pulling out his own chair, sitting down in it as well. "Now that we're together…" He snapped his fingers. A small group of soldiers started dragging out a few platters. I could already smell the steak from where I was sitting. The soldiers rushed to our table, setting out a pretty big steak on my plate with a bowl of salad. One of the soldiers grabbed the bottle of wine and uncorked it, and started pouring us glasses of wine.

Thrawn wasted no time in cutting up his steak, after gingerly placing a handkerchief over his very white uniform. I was still… at odds with this whole situation, so I carefully picked up the steak knife and looked around, as if waiting for the guards to usher out the orphans that I would have to negotiate to save, or something like that. When I didn't find any, I started cutting into the steak, discovering it was medium grilled, not my favorite, but… whatever. It's steak.

I started cutting into the steak, and when I had a nicely formed block, I brought it up to my beak and took a sniff. And then I forgot… I'm an Argonian. Disease… poison, I'm pretty much immune to them both. So, I shrugged and shoved it in my mouth. My Argonian taste buds seem to have this thing with meat… it's a heightened sense with me, and it's like a drug. Like something I just need to have. I forgot about the knife and fork and just picked up the slab of meat and started holding it while my sharp pointy teeth just started tearing it to shreds.

Thrawn stopped after I picked up the steak and just watched while I tore it to shreds. I can't help it, it's just that good for me. Hell, I did this as a human multiple times so… yeah…

Thrawn went back to eating, trying to pick up the pace, almost as if he was trying to beat me. I smirked and shoved the rest of the steak in my mouth, using my teeth to grind it to mash in a few seconds. I swallowed it, and let out my foodgasm gasp as I sank into my chair. I felt at ease, and that was probably my first mistake.

Thrawn came to a halt in his meal, nodding his head to me. "You see? We can be civil about this."

That got me sitting back up. Okay, Talia. He got you… with food. That's shameful. Never reward a guy for buying you a meal. Just… get him to cut to the chase. This has to be building up to something. Better make him spring his trap before you actually start liking him as a person.

"Okay, let's talk. What do you want from me?" I said, resting my hand on my cheek as I looked at him. "Hopefully, not my body."

He nodded. "Actually, that's exactly what I want."

That… left me surprised. "Um… what?"

He shook his head. "Not in the way you're probably thinking. You're the Dragonborn." He snapped his fingers. Another soldier walked over to us, holding what looked like a block of rock. As he got closer, I could see that it was the Dragonstone, the one I was supposed to go get. "I suppose you would like to have this." Thrawn said as the soldier walked over to me, holding the stone out for me.

I glanced at Thrawn. "Um… what's the price?"

"No price. A gift." Thrawn continued cutting into his steak, defeated at the thought that I beat him at eating steak faster than him. At least I won one thing today. I'm not sure I should be proud of that though. "Take that to your… contact." His eyes narrowed. "Were it not useful for her to have it… I wouldn't consider it."

My scales were growing cold. "You knew…"

He nodded. "I know a lot of things, Dragonborn." He dabbed his handkerchief at his mouth before tossing it on the table. "I know you are the only one that can destroy the dragon god that is now on his rampage in this world… a world that I currently reside in. I know that you are a foreigner to this place, to this world even. How so escapes me. I'm not privy to having unanswered information so I thought I'd invite you up here to see if you would kindly answer my question. To which planet do you call home?"

Might as well not lie. "Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy."

Thrawn seemed to think it over. "I'm unfamiliar with it."

I shrugged. "I really can't say more than that. I don't know our coordinates or our overall place in the universe so… that's all I _can_ say." I leave that kind of work to the actual heroes.

Thrawn seemed to take it for what it was worth. "I appreciate your prompt answer to my question. So far, you're the first person to be this… welcoming to me." He leaned forward. "The way you acted when you first saw me, the way you glance at me even now… everything you do tells me of your perspicacity."

"My… what?"

"Perspicacity." He narrowed his eyes.

"Gesundheit." I replied.

"What?" He replied back. "Is that Argonian? Perhaps the official Earth language?"

This was getting us nowhere. "Okay… so… what's my purse capacity?"

His deadpanned expression didn't change. "It's… your understanding of who I am, for a lack of better terms that I feel match your… intellect."

I snapped my fingers at him. "Hey! I understood that."

He grunted a reply. "You seem to have your mind set on me being a threat, and a cunning one. From how you engaged me without a second thought, using everything you had for one move, one that would have worked, if I were not prepared for that exact method of assassination. Why, you even set events up days ahead of the conflict. Between realizing that attacking several forts of mine would somehow… distract me, make me pull forces in one way or another, or just allow the tiny band of traitors to take several key points of mine from me was… crafty of you."

That brought a smile to me, although I should have known better. "Is this where you tell me their efforts were _all for naught_?" I put on a dramatic stretch on that famous quip.

He shook his head. "I do admit, it caught me a little off kilter."

I wasn't expecting that. "Okay… where's the moment where you tell me that they're all dead."

He shook his head. "Your allies were able to take a few of my forts, and a few of mine were successful in holding against their attacks. I'm sure your allies have already made off with several important artifacts I was holding onto: weapons, armor, ammo. A significant loss, and all so that I could meet you up here. You are too important to risk for a few lowly bases in the Reach and Rift." Okay… too relaxed with information sharing.

Might as well get this over with. "Okay, so… you know I'm the only one that can beat Alduin. And… you were up here… to meet me. So, where's Merak? What's he have to do with any of this? What's your overall goal? Why go through all this trouble?"

Thrawn reached for his glass of wine. "Yes, let us discuss that. I will admit, this was not how I intended on meeting you, but… I felt it was necessary to… secure your peaceful interaction. In my line of work, strong individuals are rarely able to sit and drink tea without hostile interaction beforehand."

"I'm not that kind of girl." Well… I am. I totally am.

Thrawn snickered at the comment. "Your brazen act of violence at our first encounter showcased your… aggression."

"Gesundheit." I replied.

He nodded. "Quaint."

"Gesundheit."

He finally looked at me. "Will you please explain your… phrase?"

I leaned forward. "It's a saying we have… it means… I acknowledged your sneeze and wish you good health. Or… something like that. Sarcastic people like me… will use this word whenever someone says a word we don't know. Sort of like… that word you used might as well be a sneeze to me so I'm expressing that I have no idea what you just said."

He nodded. "Ah. I understand. And to imagine, I thought you were using uncultured words against my wishes. It turns out that you're just a philistine." He replied, as if waiting for me to repeat my phrase again.

I shrugged. "I'd go with troglodyte."

He arched his eyebrows. "Ah, your vocabulary is grander than I would have assumed."

"I usually call my vocabulary a dictionary but… sure." I waved it off. This was getting us nowhere. I still need to know if I'm getting out of here alive or not. "So, let's hear it. Your intentions? Why this meeting? Why kidnap Merak?"

Thrawn let that sit for a second before setting his glass of wine down. "Are you sure you do not want your wine?"

I picked up my glass of wine and took a sip. "Okay… I had a sip. Answer my question please."

He smiled. "Ah, civility. How I missed it here in this warm country. You see… I'm trapped on this planet. My Emperor forced me to examine this planet for its latent Force potential, and during my examination, he pulled the fleet away, abandoning me here… on this backwater planet. He fears my tactical genius, and fears I might become a threat to his rule. I never thought of joining the rebellion, but after this transgression… I am unable to continue serving him. Even so, he is still a mighty opponent, and if I were to face him, I too would have to become powerful. And that is why I seek powerful artifacts, well… one of two reasons. I have been in conference with a powerful being made of Force, called Hermaeus Mora. He has taught me how to manipulate what you call 'magicka'. He claims I can use this magicka to teleport off this planet. The problem is that… I need to gather enough power to transport myself off planet. The more magical artifacts I gather, the stronger I can make the spell, and so… my order has begun hording magical artifacts to both bolster my own strength, and the strength of our army, in case of hostilities with the several powerful armies of this world."

Okay… I'm starting to see why he's… gathering magicka. "And what's that got to do with me?"

"Hermaeus Mora warns me that you are a powerful force on this planet, one that is destined to destroy several powerful foes. You are also capable of making bonds with powerful creatures, creatures who offer magical artifacts as recompense for labor given." Probably talking about the Daedra Lords.

"Okay…" I waved my hand. "And…"

He smirked. "Hermaeus Mora wants me to take you prisoner to make certain you cannot derail his plans for Miraak, or his own plans to take over this planet."

Okay… that makes sense. "So… you lured me up here, presented me with the Dragonstone… made it sound like you were letting me leave here alive… so that you could take me prisoner?"

Thrawn shook his head. "No, I believe we can come to better terms. As I have mentioned before, you are needed to destroy the… dragon threatening to destroy this world. I believed I could handle the threat myself, but the power I would need to destroy it would rival its own power to devour the world. And that power… has been taken away from me." Oh… the Force Hunger. That's why he wants it. "And so… I have to rest my future on your shoulders, Dragonborn. Rest assured, if I had obtained this power, I would have still suggested a partnership. Two great powers are better than one power. And with our powers combined, I am certain I could have been able obtain the power needed to escape this planet."

Wow… um… I was not expecting this. Thrawn is not a totally bad person. "Um… I was not expecting this."

He nodded. "I was certain our encounter would go more or less in this fashion. That is why I set up this dinner, to ease you into this conversation. That is why I allowed your allies to ransack my bases, take what they needed, and escape without harm, even though it harms my overall goal of gathering the magical power I need to escape this planet. And I am aware that becoming your enemy would be a mistake." Well, that's just smart.

I was actually smiling. "Wait… you want to be… my friend?"

He shrugged. "If that's what it takes to be in your good graces."

Huh...

"So, why take Merak?"

"Merak was… in my way. He was sitting on the power I needed to defeat the dragon god, and he stopped me. I was going to offer him a truce, explain the situation to him, but he's… stubborn with the traditional roles of good versus evil. I took him to keep him from ruining this meeting, and so that he might reveal the location of the holocron he took away from me. He is safe, locked away with the rest of the Force holocrons." Thrawn grabbed his glass of wine. "I take it you wish to have him returned to you?"

I nodded. "Yeah… that would be a start. But, information would be cool too. Why is there a Chiss Resistance fighting you?"

He shrugged. "I have made many questionable decisions during my stay on this planet. In order to secure my position in this planet without upsetting the delicate balance, I had to resort to barbaric means of gaining strength. I couldn't just shoot blasters in response to bows and arrows. We had to use bows and arrows as well, and we did not have the numbers for that method of warfare. This mission was supposed to be a ten year deployment, and slowly build this world up to receiving the Empire. The Emperor wanted the secrets of this planet and reasonably feared the locals, since all of them seemed powerful in the Force, a few of them might have even been a match to him in magical strength. He was right to send me here, but it was his mistake to leave me here. And it was from this mistake from the Emperor… that I made my own mistakes. In order to achieve my place in this world, I needed strong troops. I took the magically inclined people I could find, have my assassins abduct them, and then brought them back to our medical bays for… dissection and study. We later found out how to manipulate their minds, bend them to our wills, using the Imperial brainwashing methods. And then… I had my own Force users in my ranks. But… they were still weak. We began experimenting, making them stronger."

Oh… that Tank I ran into before. He told me all about it. "Yeah. I met one."

Thrawn nodded. "I do hope it was a peaceful resolution. I would hate to hear of another town destroyed by their actions."

No! No, no no! This isn't what was supposed to happen! That was destroying my every preconceived notion I had of Thrawn! Well, except experimenting on people and turning them into monsters, that's totally a bad guy thing to do.

I rubbed my temples. "Okay… so… the Resistance hates you because you made bad moral decisions in the wake of war."

Thrawn leaned forward, placing his fingertips together while hiding his face behind his hands. I can't explain the stance he was taking, but it was that classic 'bad guy thinking' posture. Just look it up. "There were other… decisions I made. I am not a merciful person, Dragonborn, when it comes to war. I will do whatever it takes to crush my enemies and secure the Empire's position. Letting opportunities pass by without proper action when presented with hostiles is inviting trouble. I made certain that my foes knew my position in this world would not be denied, and that if I wanted something… I would get it. I have obtained power, but not enough to leave this world, not yet. If you are my enemy, please state as such so that I may let you leave."

"Wait… leave?" I looked him in the eye. "So… regardless of what I say, I'm walking out of here?"

He nodded. "You have a mission, Dragonborn, one that interlocks with my own. You are here to destroy the dragon god. I am unable to stop him without the world-killing power that holocron would have given me. So… regardless of how you feel about me, I must allow you to continue your journey… for now. If you continue to be a thorn in my side, I will have to put an end to your hostilities, however. I will have you taken and held until we can determine how to use you to destroy the dragon god. I would like to avoid this eventuality, however, and allow you to progress in a natural fashion. So, do tell me, Dragonborn. Will you leave today knowing that I am willing to assist you in your mission, and allow me to continue mine? Or will we butt heads from here until one of us is dead?"

I just sat there in my seat, staring him in the eye. And we sat like that for like… two minutes. I kept running what I knew about Thrawn in my head, thinking of how he was trying to manipulate me, and if he's game code… he's programmed to hate me. He's programmed to be my enemy, and to fight me until he kills me… because he's a bad guy. But… Thrawn's smart, way smart. And if he's really Thrawn, he could actually know that keeping me alive is in his best interest. And… keeping him away from me is my best interest. I think I know how to settle this.

"You stop hurting people, and you have a deal." I said, leaning on my elbow.

He smirked. "I cannot say that I will comply with your wishes, for I still have a mission of collecting any valuable magical artifacts. Unless… you wish to handle those affairs for me while you are out adventuring?"

I knew it… he was trying to manipulate me. "How about this." I cleared my throat. "Bandits and dark mages are all yours. Go ransack whatever you want from them. Leave the towns alone, leave the good Forsworn alone, leave the Imperials and the Stormcloaks, and the Blades alone. And leave what's left of the Jedi and the Resistance alone. Do that, and we're…" Just say it, Tabby. "We're good."

He nodded. "I can manage with those terms. I take it you wish to go obtain your Word of Power now?"

I nodded. "Yeah… that would be nice. I assume you'd like to come with me?"

Thrawn picked up his glass of wine, which had a bit left inside it. "Dragonborn, it would be my honor to set you on your path. To glorious manifest destiny." He gestured with his wine glass to make that _clinking_ sound.

Um… that's already a red flag.

I shrugged. "Or… literally anything else!" I said, clinking his glass with mine. I make the weirdest friends. Oh well, the wine was good. Might as well polish it off.

"Sir… we have visitors." A Chiss archer said. "A Breton in leather armor with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and a face that looks constipated; a… stealthed Khajiit; an Imperial soldier with wavy brown hair and thick lips; another Imperial carrying a scribing kit with a bald head that resembles a sea turtle; another Khajiit wearing monk robes with a goatee; a Titan berserker with a shaved head and a ragged beard, he looks drunk, sir; and a woman with modern clothes with dark brown hair pulled into braided pigtails. She looks drunk too."

Thrawn looked at me. "Your allies?"

I nodded. "Yup." Well, most of them sounded like my friends. There were a couple ones I didn't recognize. A Khajiit monk? Was it Inigo?

Thrawn sat back. "Let them up." He looked at me. "As long as they behave themselves."

"I better meet them." I stood up from my chair, setting the empty glass on the table. "They're not going to believe this."

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

So, while trying to figure out Thrawn's motives... I decided to go off script for this one, and did not follow the mod completely. Thrawn just going around and securing power for power's sake is not his style. He always has a plan, and his plan... is to escape Tamriel so... that's exactly what he's going to do. And me... I'm reasonable. Sort of... I still don't trust him. The wine's good though.


	13. Things go Horribly Wrong

**Ceabhail** :

Um... I'm sorry. My fingers ruined it again. Not my fault.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

I waited at the top step of the burrow's plateau. I could already see my friends climbing up the stairs to come see me, and just seeing their confused faces at seeing me without even a scratch on my body… satisfied me to no end. Delphine looked the most confused, and Recorder just looked like I knocked a snow cone out of her hands and onto the ground. I ruined all her fun, which was also satisfying.

"You weren't supposed to come here!" I screamed down at my approaching friends.

"I have to record your death!" Recorder shouted up at me. "For record keeping… and because I want to."

Delphine was glancing around the plateau, looking for any signs of enemy movement. "Well, you seem to have things handled. How though?"

I tried to think up what to tell her. I mean… I just made an alliance with perhaps the scariest person in Star Wars history. And I didn't even have to beat his butt around a few times to accomplish it. I mean, in the mod, he's so hellbent on killing me, and for unspecified reasons other than… I'm supposed to be a strong opponent, and might get in his way or something like that. But… this Thrawn seems different. He's pretty cool.

"She took my invitation." Thrawn said as he walked up beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "So, you are the Dragonborn's allies?" He looked down at my collection of friends. "Well, friends of the Dragonborn are friends of mine. Come on up here, and we'll get set up for our delve into the ruins." Everyone glanced at each other, almost as if they couldn't believe it or something.

I shrugged. "He's not so bad… kind of."

Thrawn continued to keep his arm around me, clutching my shoulder and pulling me towards him. This was… awkward. I'm still not entirely sure I can trust this guy but… he's been too kind. I mean… _too_ kind. He reminds me of this boy I grew up around that bullied me but before he'd do so… he'd act just like this.

My friends were halfway up the stairs when I saw movement down by the mountain pass. Huh… it looked like Chiss soldiers. A lot of Chiss soldiers. Like… ever watch Mulan? There's a scene were Huns were just popping up over the mountain in droves… now imagine that but on a small mountain pass heading up to your location. "Um… those yours?" I watched as they continued to march up the mountainous trail.

"Tell me." Thrawn looked down at my friends. "Are any of you a traveler known as Recorder?"

Record stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening in horror.

Thrawn smiled. "There she is." He looked over at me, smiling as he said, "You were a useful tool." His hand left my shoulder.

Tool?

I felt something sharp slide through my back, and I lost all ability to stand on two legs. My vision dimmed and I fell to my knees, which only made the pain in my back skyrocket. I was suddenly on the ground, the cold snow-covered marble making it hard for me to breathe, and I couldn't move. Things were… blurry. I'm not sure how to describe it. I was in too much pain to think, to feel. It… It was too much.

Thrawn looked down at me, almost smiling. "And… I am sorry, Dragonborn. I hope that you have not activated your Histskin yet today, for I wish to reconvene with you at a later date. But for now, your 'friend' and I need to chat, and I do not need your interference." He moved away from me, looking down at my friends. "Welcome, Ellen." Thrawn's voice blasted through my earholes. He stepped away from me, beginning to walk down the stairs.

"Wha-?" Recorder started to say but was cut off as she screamed. I heard bows releasing their arrows.

"It's an ambush!" Delphine screamed.

"They're coming up the lower passes!" Hadvar screamed. "They're marching up the steps. We're surrounded!"

I tried to scream, but the sword or whatever was piercing me was stuck in a lung or two. My vision was almost blacked out. I wasn't able to move, able to breathe… this was it. I'm dying.

That sharp pain was suddenly exiting my back, and the pain became less. I still couldn't move, couldn't breathe. "Focus your energy. Activate your Histskin." I heard a Khajiit whisper over my shoulder.

I closed my eyes, but the pain was too much. And that's when it clicked. I felt the surge of life-giving energy overwhelm me, sealing up the holes in my body, and the Hist washing over my inflating lungs with healing energy. I felt good as new. My vision was still blurry, but I was able to breathe now. I coughed up some blood and began pushing myself onto my feet.

Thrawn was no longer beside me. He was halfway down the staircase, marching his way over to my friends, who all had been captured. I could see them all on their knees, his soldiers keeping swords pressed up to their necks. I looked over my shoulder to the Khajiit helping me up. It was a Khajiit in monk robes.

"Let me guess… M'aiq?" I said as I coughed up more blood.

He nodded. "Yes, this one is M'aiq."

Why is M'aiq here? Oh well, I don't have time for this.

I took a deep breath. Time to see if this actually works. Time for Plan Zed. "Od-ah-viing! Paar-thur-nax! Al-du-in!" My voice snapped out of me like an echoing thunderclap, and I was amazed that I even was able to get it to work. I'm a force to be reckoned with.

It also caught Thrawn's attention. He stopped what he was doing, and looked back at me. "Already up on your feet?" He snapped his hand at me, and I was suddenly trapped in that gravity holding spell of his. "Now, you can't interfere. Honestly… I should have started with this."

I tried to struggle but I didn't know how to break out just yet. "Feck." I stopped struggling. "Well… what the shab? You stabbed me in the back? That's the fastest betrayal I've ever seen."

Thrawn didn't even bother answering me and turned his attention back to Recorder. She was being held down by two of his soldiers. He reached into her back satchel and pulled out a bright crystal. "So… this is your recall device?" He looked down at her. "How does it work?"

Recorder's face flushed of all color. "I… I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Kill him." Thrawn gestured to Hadvar.

What?

I watched as soldier keeping Hadvar pinned on his knees pressed his sword against Hadvar's throat. With a quick jerk, he cleaved Hadvar's head off his shoulders, and his headless body fell to the ground. But! He can't! That's…

Fuck.

I just stood there, incapable of doing anything, watching as Hadvar's corpse just… lied there. He's dead. I can't believe it. He's really dead.

I tried to shake my head, but nothing was happening. "I'm going to fecking kill you for that."

I was welcomed to a precision blast of lightning to my chest by one of Thrawn's tanks, one that almost put me out. "You are in no condition to threaten me, Dragonborn." Thrawn replied. He looked away from me over to Recorder. "Let's try that one again. This recall device, how does it work?"

Recorder looked up at me for a second, and I could see the fear in her eyes. "I'm… I have no idea…" Her face cracked as lightning coursed through her body. And it stayed like that for a few seconds while one of Thrawn's soldiers continued to shock her. When the lightning stopped, I could still see the steam from the melting snow around her.

"Let's try that… _again_ …" Thrawn sounded as patient as a parent teaching their child how to pee on a potty. "This device. It allows me to transport myself to… another world. How does it work?"

Recorder just stayed kneeled, completely motionless, her mouth still gaped open in a silent scream. Her eyes were dilated and twitching. She stayed like that for a few seconds before she leaned forward, taking a gasping breath.

"I have all day." Thrawn replied. He looked at his soldiers. "Kill the other Imperial."

I watched as the scroll keeper was suddenly beheaded.

I couldn't let Thrawn continue with this. "Stop this! I'm…" I was welcomed to another wave of electric pain surging through my body by one of Thrawn's mages.

Thrawn looked over at me, still impartial to what was happening to me. "Your Histskin may have saved your life, as I expected it would, but… try to be quiet. I would hate to waste your ability to save this wretched world after I've departed it." He looked at Recorder. "Ellen? Do you care to answer my question, or will there be a third head today?" He gestured to Delphine.

Delphine looked at Recorder. "Don't tell him anything."

Recorder looked over at Delphine, her eyes still wide and fearful. "I…"

There was a roar in the distance. Ok, Talia… just buy some time. "Hey, blue balls!" I shouted over to Thrawn. That got his attention.

He turned, his cape snapping behind him. "You're testing my patience, Dragonborn. Do you wish to die?"

I smirked. "Afraid to fight a girl one-on-one? Need to let your tanks do your dirty work for you?"

M'aiq was hiding behind one of the pillars, and he was looking over at me like I was a moron. "Don't provoke him!" I could hear a louder roar, just barely sounding like a distant thunder storm approaching. M'aiq must have heard it too because he was suddenly nodding in understanding. M'aiq sighed. He stepped out from behind his pillar. "M'aiq wishes you well!" He yelled over to Thrawn.

Thrawn came to a dead stop, and his eyes immediately gravitated over to M'aiq. "YOU!" I haven't really seen Thrawn use magicka yet, but… man, he was launching this red lightning at M'aiq as fast as he could summon. Fireballs and lightning surged out of Thrawn at a rate that I could barely fathom, and his impacts were shaking the very ground around him, cooking the air and creating small vortexes. I was scared out of my pants. I was about to fight him… one-on-one? There was no distraction there for me to exploit… there was only my first and last dodge before he evaporated me.

M'aiq nimbly dodged Thrawn's attacks, speeding away from the Fireballs' explosion range. As he dodged Thrawn's attack, he raised a magicka Shield spell, absorbing the concussive blast that would have thrown me off my feet. "Thrawn still can't hit poor M'aiq. His eyes must be deteriorating from overexposure to Daedric magick."

I watched as more and more waves of red lightning crashed all over M'aiq, but he just kept nimbly dodging each attack, using his Shield spell sparingly. He moved with a grace that I couldn't begin to copy. It seemed… awfully familiar though, like it… I don't know. I don't know how it seems familiar.

Thrawn's soldiers, his archers specifically, started pulling back their bowstrings, preparing to fire on M'aiq. I was watching when one of them had their hands suddenly cleaved off, his bow falling from his hands, launching the arrow into the back of another soldier. I knew it was Ky immediately.

"Ky! Run!"

"I'd rather not." She said. "I have a mission to perform." She replied as an archer's neck turned red as a clean line drew through it.

Thrawn was too busy with M'aiq to even notice Ky cleaning up his archers. I wish I could get in on this action. "How do I get out of here?" I asked anyone that could hear me.

"Like this!" M'aiq screamed as he snapped his hand at me. I was hit by a sudden Silence spell, and the gravity well broke apart. I fell onto my feet, able to adjust myself correctly this time. I brought my saber up, activating the blade. It snapped to life, and I thought… well… it's time I do something proactive for once. Instead of charging for Thrawn like an idiot, I did the smart thing, and charged for my friends. Well, the three that were still alive anyway.

"Hey, Blue Balls." M'aiq screamed at Thrawn, making sure his attention was on him instead of me.

I took that opportunity to charge to the staircase. Thrawn's soldiers still had Recorder and Delphine pressed down, as well as that Tank I met earlier. I brought the lightsaber up, nodding to them. "Release my friends, or die."

The one holding Delphine started pressing his sword into her throat. I snapped instantly, using my Monk spell to stop time. I activated my Enhancement spell and was moving faster than I could actually track. Next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the soldier, having made a complete sweep across his body. Good thing Delphine was being held on her knees, I had a clean slash right through the chest of the soldier holding her. In the same second, I spun around, cutting through the back of the one holding Recorder. I snapped around, thrusting my blade right into the chest of the mage tank that kept shooting lightning at me earlier. Time snapped back on, and I was left with just one person being threatened… the one holding the tank.

"Oh? Is it time to act?" He said with a grunt. He stood up, picking up the soldier with him. He reached over, grabbed the Chiss soldier, spun him over his shoulders, slammed him hard on the ground, and then brought down the boot. I heard a nasty crunch. And after that… no more soldier.

I would have chatted with my friends, but we were only in more trouble now. I only killed three soldiers… out of possibly hundreds. I wasn't kidding when I said his army was marching up the mountain pass, and… there were more of them I could count. I had an element of surprise but… out of the cauldron and into the volcano…

There was a loud roar from up above me. "DOVAHKIIN, I HAVE COME! I HEARD YOUR CHALLENGE!" A torrent of fire fell down on the Chiss soldiers, which was the break I needed. The soldiers were no longer concerned with me, they were concerned with the dragon doing a flyby firebomb. "I'VE COME TO TEST MY THU'UM AGAINST YOURS."

Well, I hope he can wait a few months, because I don't know any Shouts yet, other than knowing that screaming dragon names brings them to you.

I looked to my friends, nodding. "Okay, so… we need to get some high ground, set up a defense of some kind… and…"

The ground underneath me shook violently as a loud popping sound echoed in the sky. I could feel the hotness brewing in the air as the very air started spinning wildly. I looked up into the sky, seeing the clouds swirling into a collective mess as hot rocks started plummeting to the ground. Flapping his oversized wings, was the bigger and badder Alduin, dragon god. He still looked like a badass, his dark black scales with red glowing hues like with the Daedric armor. His blackened soulless eyes gleamed down at me. He knew I was the one that called him here, and he knew that I wasn't ready to face him. And I believe he didn't want to face me either. So… why come at all?

I looked at Delphine. "So… that's Alduin, the dragon god of destroying our asses if we don't get moving."

A wave of archers were already pulling back their bows, firing arrows at us. "Run!" I screamed.

"Fus Ro Dah!" I heard from up above. Paarthurnax was flying right overhead of us, aiming his Shout at the incoming arrows. The end result was the wave of arrows flying at us slamming immediately into the ground, and the wave of archers coming after us flying off their feet and onto their asses. Well, Plan Zed was working about as good as I thought it was.

I turned on the ball of my feet, still fed by the Enhancement spell, and booked it up the staircase, leaving Recorder and Delphine with the Tank. I'm sure he'll help them. Ky was up at the top, clearing out what remained of the archers taking pot shots at us from the plateau. That's good. Now, we just need to get up here and… climb down the mountain? Or… should we head into the ruin? I do have some Word of Power I need to learn. But… wait… there's an alternative to that. The cave entrance. Thrawn already retrieved the dragonstone so… chances are, he opened the back entrance, or he just walked back the way he came. I doubt that though. No one just turns around and walks back, especially if there are more magical items further on. And like Thrawn said… he's all about collecting magical items.

I ended up on the plateau, looking for something to do, some kind of plan to come up with. Wait… the plan. I snapped my hand up, and fed some Flames into my palm, focusing really hard on keeping it collected in a ball, like doing a ki ball. And it was building up inside my palm; I could see the ball of fire growing. I screamed as I launched the ball into the sky, willing it to explode once it got high enough. And off it went, flying into the sky, exploding into a bright ball. There. If anyone in the Resistance sees that, maybe they'll come and fight. Or run. At least they know things went badly.

I looked over to a group of Chiss soldiers still remaining. Ky was busy cutting down an archer, so… might as well get some XP. I charged off towards them, still going faster than anyone could run. The three soldiers all readied their weapons for me, and by the time I reached them, I was raising my magicka saber to deflect the first person's thrust. My sword passed right through his like it was made of butter. It stunned him, but I was already bringing my sword down through the neck to the guy behind him. I took that time to snap out a kick to the first guy's knees, using my Force power to completely snap it. He screamed as he fell to his broken knee, screaming in even more horror as he landed on it. I turned my attention to the last remaining soldier. I glared her in the eye as I swept my blade through the chest of the broken-knee guy.

"Run." I might as well let someone leave without dying.

She nodded, backing away, and then turning into a full retreat. She didn't make it far though. Her head was suddenly falling off her shoulders. Ky's work, no doubt.

I turned back to the entrance to see Delphine and Recorder running up the stairs. "I told you not to come up here!" I screamed at both of them. "I had this handled!"

Delphine crossed her arms. "And I thought you were dead."

"More reason to _not_ come up here!" And then I pointed to Record. "And you! You did the _one thing_ I told you not to do. I told you to run, to get far away from here… and why did I say that? Because I didn't want Thrawn…" I waved to her to complete my sentence.

She sighed. "You didn't want Thrawn getting his hands on my records."

I nodded. "Yes, exactly. And you hate me… there is no reason you should want to come up here."

She looked away, not even offering an excuse. I face-palmed. "Delphine, you're smarter than this. You never walk into a trap."

"You're supposed to be the hero that destroys dragons. It's every Blade's mission to make certain that you survive, even at the cost of our own lives." Yeah… she got me there. I guess I hadn't considered that part of their code of honor.

I waved it off, looking for Thrawn. He was still blasting away at M'aiq, who was actually almost matching him in terms of power. While Thrawn was able to smash him with red lightning, M'aiq was able to ward it away from him without much trouble. What exactly is M'aiq? M'aiq was a monk… not… not whatever he is right now. The ground shook as a massive brown dragon suddenly fell from the sky, landing on his four limbs. "DOVAHKIIN. FACE ME IN HONORABLE COMBAT." He reached his head back, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. I placed my magicka saber in front of me. Please work like you do in the game.

Odahviing unleased a torrent of fire down upon me. I closed my eyes, shoving my saber out in front of me as far as I could force it to go, and I waited. I heard the Thu'um, I heard the air and fire around me raging, and I felt some heat… but… that's it. I opened my eyes to see the magicka saber actually taking the Fire Breath attack and transforming it into… or breaking down the attack and turning it into pure mana, which quickly dispersed into the air like snow. It was… appealing to watch. And this was happening like a foot away from me. That's somewhere near 0.3 meters for someone else. The crystal's vibrational frequency must be actively taking the magicka casting close to it and nullifying it in a peaceful method. Does that work on all magicka? So… if I had my magicka saber on… would Thrawn even be able to trap me in his bubble….

Wait..

I didn't even fecking think of that! I'm so fecking dumb. Oh wait… I couldn't move my hands to even turn the saber on. Huh. Nevermind.

So, while I was thinking of all that, Odahviing's Thu'um had run its course, and he was standing there, dumbfounded. "Dovahkiin." Odahviing landed nearby, giving me a solemn look. "I was not expecting you to call for me without first meeting me."

"Wait…" Thrawn turned to look at me. "This is what you… what?"

Huh?

…

[The real world]

I looked over at Thrawn from my table. Everyone was standing over top of me, looking down at the drawing I had been working on for the past hour.

I pointed down at the two dragons on the picture. "This is where Paarthurnax takes me on as his student and trains me in the way of the Dov."

Thrawn scratched his chin. "Ah… and this fantasy of yours… I'm an opportunistic bastard that turns on his allies?"

I nodded. "Yeah. This is exactly how I expected my encounter with you to go. As a Seeress…. This is what I expected from you. Not…" I waved my hands over this body. "this."

Recorder crossed her arms. "Seriously… you're an idiot."

Hadvar was shaking his head. "You killed me off."

I shrugged. "It made Thrawn look more like a badass villain, one I'd have to overcome with all my might to defeat."

Thrawn snorted, turning around to walk away. "You are an interesting girl, Dragonborn." He shook his head. "However, the tactics you presented were… short-sighted. I would not introduce my new targets to an ambush by first eliminating the leader of their resistance. Your first mistake was even expecting me to stab you in the back; it's too unreliable. If I wanted you dead, you'd be stabbed in the base of your neck, right where your neck meets the base of your skull. You would never fully recover from that, even as an Argonian."

Huh… good to know for future reference.

I shrugged. "But… you didn't want me dead, you still wanted me to be alive to kill Alduin."

He shook his head. "The risk in you not having your Histskin would be too much. In all retrospect, your thinking of my tactics is too… mundane for me to comprehend. If I wanted your friend's device, one that can send me home, which… I did not know she even had to begin with… I would not have begun by stabbing the potential heroine of this world, and force her to give up her device while torturing her and her allies. It's too…" He shrugged. "old-fashioned, and unreliable. If I've learned anything destroying civilizations, it's those old tactics that breed the worst resistances. I'm sure that if I had chosen to do this upon meeting your allies, you or Recorder, or even Delphine, or even someone less expecting would have been able to slip away, and inform the masses of what took place here. And I'm sure this event would have brought together the three primary armies of this world and unite them against me, all while the traitorous Resistance would have leaked information as to my organization's weaknesses. Indeed, the whole thing started by me would have become my undoing, and that is why no one is being betrayed today." He sighed. "Not that I intend on betraying you or anyone on your team." He narrowed his eyes. "That does not excuse any betrayal from you in the future. Behave, and this 'future' of yours will not come to pass. And if you start to show signs of betrayal, what you envisioned will be just a wanting compared to what you will receive."

He was glaring at me with such intensity that I almost crapped myself.

I smiled as I glanced over to Delphine. "Delphy…. I think we should head inside the crypt now. I need to learn that Shout. And we have a dragon to slay."

"Hold up." Recorder crossed her arms. "Okay so…. You think I have a dimensional crystal or something?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure how your powers to transport through timelines would work so… yeah, that's what I would have come up with."

Hadvar was still glaring down at me. "You killed me off!"

I nodded. "To make me grow as a protagonist! To make me want to kill Thrawn… and the fans would be fecking mad at him, cheering me on as I finally run my lightsaber through his chest."

Thrawn snorted, shaking his head while rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The delusions of a child."

"Hey!" I looked up at Thrawn. "From what I know about you… this 'future' of mine is how you would have acted."

"I'm far too intelligent for a one-time betrayal that eliminates a potential ally for the possibility of a way off this world, especially when I know a way off this world, and have already begun formulating my way off. Besides, there is always the likeliness that my fleet may return for me and my men."

"Sir… it's been almost 40 years." My Titan friend replied.

"M'aiq agrees." M'aiq nodded his head. "If the fleet intended on returning, they would have by now. The official records of you are probably destroyed, this entire planet wiped off any star charts."

Thrawn shrugged. "And any ship might somehow find their way here." He glanced at me. "The Jedi Knight Merak found his way here by accident."

I nodded. "Yeah… I guess that much is true."

Delphine looked down at my picture that I drew from crayons. "Okay… so… in this fantasy of yours… how would this have ended anyway?"

I looked over at Thrawn, and I kind of forced an awkward smile. "Well…"

….

[Back to the dream world]

I stood there, looking up at Paarthurnax as he glanced down at me. "Dovahkiin, you have summoned me. I would take you under my wing. All while speaking Dovah words that you don't remember at the moment."

And I would nod, saying, "Under your guidance, I will become a Thu'uming badass, one worthy of finally defeating Alduin and making Odahviing my personal best friend, one that lets me ride on his back as he flies through the skies."

"Not happening." Odahviing would glance away, being a total tsundere.

My attention is drawn back to the falling meteors as Alduin continues to fly up in the sky. "You are no Dov." He looked down at me, glaring through my soul as he continued to hover. "There is nothing you can do to harm me. I could land and destroy you right now."

"Oh yeah!" I screamed up at him. "Just come down here and find out what I can do." Think, Talia… do you remember the Mortal Shout? Um… shite. I don't.

Alduin fell from the sky, landing so heavily on the stone plateau that it exploded into debris and throwing up a wind shockwave, one that almost picked me off my feet and showered me with dust. "Your little weapon may stop the Thu'um but it cannot stop my fangs."

I brought up my magicka saber, keeping it between me and Alduin. "Oh yeah! Well… I need a better comeback!"

Alduin grumbled at my reply and he lunged at me, snapping at me. His mouth was bigger than I was. He could swallow me whole, and his fangs were half the size of me. Man… dragons are scary in real life. "Toor Shul!" He suddenly Shouted right in my face.

I brought my saber up, and just in time. The force of his Shout rained down on top of me, but the saber managed to ward enough of it away that I was unharmed. And while Alduin continued his Shout, he walked closer and closer to me, arching his head above me. And I raised my saber up to keep up the warding, a wave of fire falling down on top of me, encasing me in fire. It was like being trapped in a bubble of fire, one that was quickly heating me up, and I could feel the oxygen being eaten away, the heat hitting me like I was already burning. This… this was a great plan by Alduin. Suffocate me by surrounding me with fire… which eats oxygen to keep burning. And by smothering me on all sides, I can't replenish my supply of oxygen… add in the heat of the flames and well… I can't hold this forever.

The flames suddenly ended, and I was welcomed with a cold breeze of actual breathable air. I looked up to see M'aiq standing on top of Alduin's head.

"M'aiq wishes you well…" The cat snarled as he clawed at Alduin's eyes, all without causing a single mark, but just as much… annoying the ancient dragon. Alduin started shaking his head around, but M'aiq dug his claws into the scales around his eye and hung on for dear life.

That gave me the time I needed to stand up, and raise my saber for another breath attack, this one coming from Odahviing. "DOVAHKIIN!" He screamed, marching his way up to me. "FACE ME IN IMMORTAL COMBAT."

"I can't!" I screamed back after his breath fell to pieces. "I mean… I could kill you, if that's what you want." I activated my Enhancement spell and charged up to Odahviing, which, I want to point out something. When Slow Time is active, the world feels like it's slower for me, but with Enhancement… time seems to flow normally, I just move really quickly. It's hard for me to judge things like… rocks in my way. And I tripped on some kind of sword or something. It caught me on my shin and I tumbled off my feet. Luckily, I deactivated my saber before I face-planted on the stonework.

I looked up at Odahviing, whose head was just a meter away from eating me. "On this day… you go to Sovngarde."

I stuck out my tongue. "You first." My Enhancement was still running, so I did a pushup off the ground, using my FP to throw me into the air. I quickly activated my saber and spun myself at full force. I did a sick Levi move, cutting through Odahviing's neck, and severing it from his head. I was splashed by dragon blood, and my mage robes are completely trashed now… _damnu air_.

I landed on the ground, dragon blood raining down all around me, and I was drenched in Odahviing's blood, my magicka saber making evaporation sounds as drops of blood rained down on top of it. And standing in front of me would be Thrawn.

"Congratulation, Thrawn. You've awakened the darkest part of me. You now have my full attention." I said as I brought my saber up.

Thrawn just stood there, arms folded behind his back, resting on his butt. That pompous pose all evil military strategists do.

 _Does it really make me look pompous?_

 _Yes._ The entire universe replied.

"Perhaps, Dragonborn. But… are you ready to face the future?" He snapped his finger, and I was expecting something to happen, like a spell or something, but that's not happened. There was a thumping sound, like a massive wind turbine. And the ground started shaking. And then… there was a breeze, one that started low, and started to build. And then… I could see something white rise from the other side of the plateau. It was rising into the air. And as it did, I could see a massive air ship, like the ones from Avatar, the Last Airbender, rising into the sky. When I looked around, I could see hundreds of them all throughout the area.

Thrawn grabbed onto a rope ladder, laughing manically as it raised off the ground, taking him with the airship. "You may have won this round, Dragonborn, but we both know this dance will not end here."

I shook my fist at him. "Damn you, Thrawn! I'll stop you one day!"

…

[The Real/kind of still fantasy world, well… okay, it's the version of me that's an Argonian trapped in Skyrim… world]

I sighed as I rocked back in my chair. "That would have been awesome."

I looked over to Thrawn, who only shook his head. "You turned me into a cartoon villain."

"Dude…" I looked him in the eye. "That's the version of you that I know about. And Disney tarnished whatever reputation you had. They should have taken a page from Voltron and modeled you off of Prince Lotor (like me). Now… he was a villain. Still cartoony, but… in a good way."

Delphine groaned and rested her hand on the bridge of her nose. "There you go again… speaking about stuff I don't understand."

I looked over at Hadvar. "So… how are you?"

He was still trapped in his shocked glare at me. "YOU KILLED ME OFF."

I shrugged, screaming. "IT WAS FOR THE GREATER GOOD!"

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Man, I had fun with this. Maybe too much fun. I should tone it down.


	14. Helgen

**Ceabhail** :

It's pretty short. I mean... it's not the length that counts, it's how you... um... you know what... it's a new chapter. There you go.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

So, the rumors were true.

The gateway to Helgen hung ajar on its hinges. I almost couldn't get the gate to swing open. I didn't really need to get past the gateway to enter the town though, nor did I need to see what happened inside. I could see the pillowing smoke from the sky, and this happened days ago. The town was still smoldering, still burning. A section of the town wall was exposed, and I used that to climb into the town. A charred body of a Legion soldier sprawled out against the wall welcomed me into the town. Charred bodies, bodies ripped to shreds, and wild animals were all that remained of the town. Buildings were burned to the ground; towers smashed to mere rubble. This was remained of my home.

I walked through the charred streets, carefully stepping over the charred remains of the people I grew up around my entire life. I looked from building to building, trying to remember the way to my house. It was harder than I would have liked. This town looked so different now that it was leveled. My heart practically stopped beating as I came up to my house. So… this was it. A building with the roof smashed in, the left side completely burned through, the door smashed off its hinges. Go figure.

I felt numb as I sluggishly stepped to my house. I missed the first step of our balcony's staircase, and almost fell through the floorboards as I fell forward. Jeez! This is insane! What kind of monster did this? Was it a dragon like everyone in Riverwood was saying?

I felt raw anger eating at me as I lay there on the crushed balcony. I screamed, smashing my hand into the wooden floor, smashing through the board like it was made out of thin ice. A dragon! They were real! And I'm here. I'll fix this. I have to. But… first… I need to know something.

I pushed myself up and tried my best to walk over top of the burned woodwork. I could smell the burned bodies all around me, and I was not having a good time with it. I was trying my best to hold my bile in me while I came up to my broken door. I sighed as I snapped my boot out. The door exploded into ashen remains as it crumbled underneath me.

I walked into what remained of my old house, holding my gloved hand to my mouth to keep myself from breathing in the ash floating about. And there, sitting on what remained of our living room, were two smoldering corpses. They were pressed against the burnt couch, a large section of the roof pressed into their bodies. It looks like they were killed instantly by the falling roof. It's hard to tell though, but… why else would they be just sitting on the couch? They would have evacuated, or ran… or hid… something!

I held my tears as I walked past the blackened beams. I walked over to the couch, taking a knee as I reached for Mom's hand. I gingerly grabbed her hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Mom…"

The hand snapped, part of it turning to dust in my hand. And with that, my restraint broke.

My tears squeaked through my defenses and with that, I couldn't stop it. I cried. I fell to my hands and knees, screaming in fury as I punched the floor. I continued to punch the floor until my knuckles ran red with blood. Raw pain not even comparing to the pain in my heart. My parents were dead! Killed by some fucking dragon!

"What did you find?" I heard Vilkas behind me. "I heard you screaming." His footsteps were marching up the stairs. "Lydia? What did you find?"

I turned to look at him. "My…. They're…"

He came to a stop outside my doorway. One look at me, and he understood. "Oh. Lydia… I'm sorry."

I grunted as I pushed myself up onto my feet. "Everyone in this town deserves a proper burial. Is Njada done with her search?"

Vilkas nodded. "She's raiding the wine cellar as we speak."

I wiped at the tears on my cheek. "Once we're ready, we'll throw a goodbye bonfire burial. We'll need fresh wood. Some of the wood in this town is still usable. Are you sure we should be doing this? A bonfire burial?"

Vilkas shook his head. "We can't risk another one, Lydia. Everyone here must be reduced to ash. Remember what happened in Whiterun?"

How could I forget? The dead in our town's crypt started coming back to life. Draugrs… in the middle of our town. Only… they were different… almost infected. I looked at my mother's charred face. And even now, I could see the disease growing on her body. She was going to become one of them. "We can't risk a whole town of these… monsters." We already lost two guards to this… whatever it was. And they started turning into those monsters too. It was contagious, whatever it was.

"Let's get this over with. I don't want infected Draugr walking down into Riverwood." Time to burn this town down for the second time. This time, everyone is going to be burned until there is nothing left. "And keep your mask up. We don't want to breathe in whatever this virus is."

Vilkas smirked. "Won't bother me. You on the other hand."

Yeah, yeah… you're a werewolf, I get it. "I'll join you outside in a minute. I need to write this down."

Vilkas nodded and exited the doorway, giving me some amount of privacy.

I sighed as I pulled out my logbook. How long has it been since I used to sit in this very room, writing my little stories? It feels like too long.

 _4e 201, 19th Last Seed: Middas_

 _Dear journal,_

 _My mission from Jarl Balgruuf to investigate the circulating rumors of a dragon destroying Helgen has come for fruition. I have arrived to Helgen with my squadmates from the Companions: Vilkas and Njada. The following is my confirmed report of the situation._

 _Upon arriving to Riverwood, the local populace hinted that they saw the dragon soaring over the town, and even had survivors of the extermination staying at the inn, briefing the inn owner. A local resident, Sven, heard the whole conversation, and relayed it to me. He mentioned that an Argonian survivor of the incident claimed to be a 'Dragonborn'. I do not know why a Dragonborn would be walking out of a destroyed Helgen, but… Sven is known for his longwinded tales. He might have stretched the truth a bit in his story to me. The last known Dragonborn died 200 years ago._

 _After we talked to the residents of Riverwood, we headed east to Helgen, or what remained of it. The town is destroyed, just like was observed by the traveling merchants that told the guards in Whiterun. You could see the smoke from Riverwood, but to see the town as it is… it's saddening, heart crushing. I lived here. I grew up here. My parents lived here. And here I kneel, over my mother and my father's corpses, numbed by the fact that I am now an orphan, albeit a grown adult. With the spreading virus that animated our dead, I have observed the same virus already growing on the deceased in this town. Burn down or not, we cannot risk the dead in this town reanimating. This virus has a potential of spreading beyond just the dead. I watched living souls contaminated die in just a day's time. It's fast-acting, and magick did nothing to halt its progression. This town is a nest in the waiting. We will burn this town a second time to prevent the spreading of this contagion._

 _Lydia Silver-Sword_

 _…_

I closed my journal and looked over at Mom. I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Mom… I hope you find your rest in Sovngarde." Well… time to burn you. Hope that doesn't offend you.

"We're going to gather every corpse into the tavern, smother everyone in as much wine as possible, and then lighting it on fire. That should be good enough." Njada said as she walked over to the doorway. "Standard zombie prevention protocol."

Zombies… I'm uncomfortable with that word. This is Skyrim; we don't have zombies, we have Draugr. Either way, what we're dealing with aren't zombies, or Draugr. This is something new. Something infected. The body mutates, expands, and can infect the living, driving them mad until they start attacking others, mutating into new vicious creations of themselves. I remember reading about a virus in Morrowind that acts like this. The Corprus virus. This is something comparable to a corprus monster, only worse.

"I'll be out in a second." I replied back. I reached over my back, taking my rucksack off, and tossing it on the ground in front of me. I unwrapped my tarp and laid it out across the floor. Well… I'm not dragging my parents out of here without having them wrapped. I don't want that corprus knockoff infecting me too.

I made sure my long-sleeve gloves were pulled all the way up, tying them tightly as I looked at my parents. Sorry, Mom… sorry, Dad. It's time to rest. But before you can, I have to do this one last thing. I reached down and started moving the burnt pieces of wood off of my parents, throwing the burnt logs into the tarp. A chuck stuck in Dad's head was harder to get rid of, and pulling it out ripped out half of his brain in the process. I heard a sickening ripping sound as I pulled the log out. I turned my head, trying my best to hold my bile. I didn't want to take my mask off, because if I did… I might breathe in the virus by accident.

I bit my tongue as I closed my eyes and turned back to Dad. I grabbed him carefully and pulled him off the couch. I heard a ripping sound as half of seared flesh tore off the couch's exterior. Lydia… keep it cool, don't lose it. It's just… bone matter, muscle, and flesh sundering.

I rolled Dad onto the tarp without further incident. Okay, Lydia… the easy one is done. It's time for Mom now. I reached down, grabbing her underneath her arms, and pulled. I heard that sickening rip as her waist ripped in half, her legs still fused to the couch. Okay… I need a break.

I plopped Mom onto the tarp, a lot of exploding ash flying into the air. Her intestines rolled out of the massive bleeding hole where her stomach used to lay. Okay… definitely time for a break.

I turned for the door, charging through all while holding my mouth shut. I ran as far as I could away from my house before my knees gave out, and I ripped the mask up. I retched out all my grief and disgust. After I was finished, I was too weak to stand up and face the rest of this mission. I just ripped my mom in half. I just pulled out my father's brain. How can anyone just… do that and not be affected? I'm not a Dwemer machine. I can't… I just can't.

"Lydia… are you okay?" I heard Vilkas walking up to me.

I forced my shoulders to relax, and I pulled my mask back down over my mouth. I took a deep breath as I turned to look at Vilkas, trying my best to keep my voice even. "I'm fine now. I'll go complete collecting my parents."

"Should I go finish collecting them?" He offered. "This virus won't get to me."

As much as I hated it… I can't go back in there. "Could you, please?"

Vilkas nodded. "I know it must be hard for you. When you're ready, go to the tavern with Njada. Help her coat the dead with the wine we have. Use whatever oil we find too."

"Yeah. I'll head over shortly." I started pushing myself back onto my feet. I just want to get this over with.

Vilkas entered my old house, and I really hated that I let him go in there instead of me. I just… I just couldn't bear to see my family like that. I didn't leave on the best of terms, and to have the chance to reunite with my parents wasted like this… and for me to just… do what I just did. Tear my mother in half… it's too much.

I found myself walking back to the tavern. Most of the bodies had already been dragged halfway across town to the tavern. While the walk down here was filled with corpses I had to walk across, the streets were now filled with charred body prints, and drag lines where Njada or Vilkas dragged the bodies around. A found a small burnt body, one that was curled in on itself as if it was protecting itself from the intense heat of the dragon's breath that cooked it alive. It looked small… like a child.

I exhaled, forcing myself to ignore whatever or whoever this might have been at one time. It was just a burnt thing. I managed to rip most of the thing off the ground, to almost the same effect as I did with my dad. I lifted it up and carried it over to the tavern. I ignored the fact that it felt like it would have been a six-year-old kid. I ignored the fact that I couldn't stop the burning in my eyes. I ignored the fact that there were hungry wolves already in the town, eating the remains I left back there when I ripped this kid off the ground.

I tossed the charred body in with the rest of them, and I just then realized just how bad this situation was. The tavern floor was filled with them. So many bodies. Why were there so many soldiers here?

"When I became a Companion, I was not expecting this." Njada said as she tossed a charred body into the pit. She pulled out a bottle of wine and took a swig before dumping it all over the pile of corpses around her. "One for me, and the rest for the wicked." She said as she poured it all around the corpses.

I glanced over my shoulder; Vilkas was returning from my house, dragging a wrapped tarp behind him. Well, time to buy a new tarp; I'm not going to want that one back.

"Is this everyone?" Vilkas asked as he pulled the tarp into the pile.

Njada nodded. "I just pulled up the last one. I think the wolves will clean up whatever we leave behind."

Vilkas looked back at the wolves. "We shouldn't let them. Some of these corpses already show signs of infection. We don't know what it will do to animals."

Njada pulled out her bow. "Should I add the wolves to the pile?"

Vilkas looked at the wolves busy eating up the remains of the boy I just pulled off the ground. I could tell he was trying to weigh the options in his mind. "I can smell the infection." Vilkas finally said. "Other animals should be able to tell as well, and know to avoid consuming it. I believe they're safe." He turned to look at us. "Finish drowning the dead in wine and let's set them free."

I took a bottle from Njada and dumped it on the tarp containing my parents. I took a drink before the bottle was empty. I would be buying a lot more of this once I get back home. I want to forget this ever happened.

Once we had everything thoroughly covered, we exited the tavern. I reeked of wine, and probably would for the next month.

"We ask Kyne to look upon us as we commit the dead to the fire." Vilkas said as he pulled out a match. He scratched it across his matchbox, igniting the match. "Purge the dead of this infection so that we might all find some peace in their death." He tossed the match into the tavern, and it went up into fire immediately. I watched as my tarp caught fire.

"How long do we wait?" Njada asked.

"Until we know they're completely dead." Vilkas replied.

She crossed her arms. "At least we're being paid for this."

Vilkas sighed as a reply.

I continued to watch my parents burn. It will only take a few minutes at most to be sure that they're nothing more than ash this time around.

We stood there for a few minutes, watching everything burn. I had to close my eyes and look away after a minute of staring at it. I could feel my eyesight punishing me for gazing too long into the fire. Vilkas and Njada settled down for a game of cards. I pulled out one of my books, taking a seat on a charred section of the wall. I started reading the Argonian Account, volume 3. So far, this was an interesting read suggested to me by Jon. He knew I wanted to go to new places and experience the life of a traveling knight. This book offered some actual insight into what Black Marsh was like. A place I may very well never get to set foot in.

The book offered what I assumed it would be like living in a marshy land like Black Marsh. Sure, we have our own marshland, but that would be like comparing this lit tavern to the heat of the sun. We surely don't have roots that you can travel through, and bog monsters that are 8 foot tall. Or fleshflies that will eat you alive in minutes. I wonder what I would do if I ever ventured into a place like that.

I was brought out of my book by the sound of an explosion. I snapped my head up, already seeing something happening up at the old crypt: Bleak Falls Burrow. There was a large pillow of smoke pouring through a section of the mountain. I wonder what's going on up there? Wasn't Thrawn heading up there or something? I'd rather just stay out of his business, but… if he's going to be drawing Draugr out of their crypt, I might just have to go investigate it.

I looked over to Vilkas. He was eyeing the crypt too. He glanced at me, shaking his head. I guess we're staying out of it then. I turned my attention back to my book. I wonder what happened?

…

[Me!]

"Get that fecking thing out of my sight!" I screamed, fire pouring through me. "I'll murder everything in this fecking room!"

"It's just a…" General Going-to-be-dead-soon opened his mouth.

"No… just trust us. You don't want to push that button." Hadvar said as he pulled a lever that opened the trap door behind the slaughtered massive spider I just brushed up against. I had my eyes closed and everything, and I still rubbed up against it.

"Jeez…" Delphine said, brushing embers out of her hair. "I've never met someone like you before."

I snickered. "This isn't even my final form." I can already hear the SSJ 3 song playing in the back of my mind… or in my headphones. Whichever sounds more believable.

"You can look now." Hadvar said. "The… it's gone."

I sighed as I looked around. Spider webs everywhere. Ugh… I'm trembling at the sight of it.

M'aiq laughed as he walked up beside me. "M'aiq is here for you."

I looked over at him, looking him up and down. "You're different. Wait… I want to know something." I grabbed M'aiq by the shoulder. "Private conversation time. Everyone else… just… don't listen to us. Kay?"

I walked away with M'aiq, walking him into the corridor heading away from everyone else. M'aiq, the entire time, stiffened up and smiled awkwardly at me. I took us to a corner and then face us both towards the wall. I leaned in close to him, pressed myself as close to his ear as possible and whispered, "I heard a rumor that you're actually Lorkhan. Is that… correct?"

He became completely stiff. "Um… M'aiq… is M'aiq. Nothing mysterious about M'aiq."

"You're a Liar. It's kind of your thing," And fourth-wall breaking meta jokes. If anything, he's probably the one person in this world that knows I'm not an actual Argonian.

M'aiq looked over at me, forcing a big smile. "M'aiq is no liar. M'aiq is a Khajiit, nothing more."

"Yeah… and I'm an Argonian girl."

M'aiq smirked. "Is she not really a girl?"

I bit my tongue. I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.

I turned around and started walking back to the group. M'aiq wins this round.

I entered the room, where Admiral Thrawn waited for me, his hands folded behind his back, resting on his flat butt. Gods, I hate that posture. "Okay, I'm ready to move on."

Admiral Thrawn nodded. "I believe we're almost there."

Sure… almost there. That sounds about right. Just levels and levels of Draugr for us to venture through. Good thing Thrawn's men already cleared the cave for us. Since everyone's dead, I completely forgot about the fecking spider in this room. I was dreading coming in here because of it, and to know that Thrawn already killed everything in this place, I just… forgot to mention it. And then… I saw it. And then I exploded. Blew a hole through the wall too. Almost killed everyone. I was not kidding when I said this was going to happen if I saw one of these things.

"You sure have an… explosive temper." Admiral Thrawn nudged me with his elbow.

I glanced over at him, surprised that he even attempted a joke. "Is this going to be a thing with you?"

He shrugged. "I'm… uncertain how to approach you. You… act… how do I say this tactfully… belligerently chaotic."

"Wow… I have no idea what you just said, but I kind of want to pull your pants down and kick you in the dick for that." I mumbled as I rolled my eyes. "I'll settle for 'gesundheit' though." Call me a… whatever the feck he just called me. "But, I think I get it. You're just trying to understand me, right?"

He glanced down at me, sighing. "You're not easy to figure out. As a potential ally, I only wish to be able to predict your mannerisms and methods of action, so that I may use the proper counter-action to assist you in your efforts."

"Ah-huh." Said, every guy ever. I… I think. "Gods, you're a weird boyfriend."

His face darkened at the mention of it. "What… I… I never attempted to imply that I was…"

I waved it off. "I'm not into blue guys with red glowing eyes." Sorry all you eligible guys out there with blue skin and red eyes. I swear I'm not racist.

I smirked as I crossed my arms and glared over to Thrawn. "But for you… I might make the exception."

Thrawn quickly averted his gaze and started walking through the room. "Let us continue on."

I held my chuckle as M'aiq caught up with us. "Yes… let's continue this… interesting quest." I winked at M'aiq. "The gods are watching us… after all."

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

I want to formally apologize for the months and months I've been inactive. I moved to a new house... and adjusting is a process with me. And writing in a place I'm not comfortable in is torture to me. I had to mentally adjust to my new environment. Sitting here on my laptop was exhausting whenever I tried to write, so I mostly played video games. My room is still a mess of boxes and unfolded clothes. I had a closet in my last place... now it's a bigger room with less storage. I'm still figuring it out.

I will start getting back to the other stories too. I want to finish Khajiit War Mage, and then move onto Veselle. I want them both done soon-ish. This was easier for me to do though, so... I did this first.


	15. Finally, an end!

**Ceabhail** :

This is why I hate stepping away from projects, I always forget what I'm doing and then... well... I have to be 'creative'. Here we go...

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

"Okay… here we are." I said as I waved my hands across the massive room. I could see the waterfalls that I would probably be bathing under before we left, the Dragon Wall that I would be pressing my eyes up against until I memorized how to tip people over with a single word: _Fus_. And then I would stroll out of here, Dragonstone in hand, go up to Whiterun, meet Jarl Balgruuf… um… fight a dragon. And then? Um… Hmm.

What would I do next? Probably move into the nearby home. Have Lydia rub my tired feet. And then, I'd probably pick up a bounty quest of some kind… oh…

Yeah.

I'm not as strong as I thought I was.

I was tossed around by a Titan just a few chapters ago. I'm not invincible. I mean… I kind of am. I have the Monk Ring, which basically (lore) taps into my chi to help heal me faster, also boosts my stamina and health. In actuality (in game), it just makes my health bar regenerate faster than it should, making all the hits bounce off me. But… that's a _game_ character. I _exist_! Each sword strike I take… is going to fecking hurt! It's like that story I heard of Christian Hell… where demons are locked in a cage with you, and they beat the crap out of you for eternity, and your soulic body just… doesn't heal… so you're a crumbled ball of pain and spiritually broken bones and flesh while these beasts tear into you. It's a scary story to be sure, and one I'll be living if I get surrounded by ten or so bandits.

"There's a lovely waterfall for anyone who wishes to fill up their canteens, or take a shower." I glanced over to Hadvar. "Feel like another shower together?" I said while arching my non-existent eyebrows at him suggestively.

He crossed his arms, scowling at me. "You… killed… me… off."

I rolled my eyes in six dimensions. "It was for the plot!" I screamed. "Besides, I'm offering to _get_ you off!" I screamed loudly enough to force everyone to look at us.

I said it intentionally just to make his face blush red, and it worked. He glanced away from me, over to Admiral Thrawn, who… just by the look on his face, looked lost in a world of confusion. It was actually kind of cute to see the overwhelming genius of Star Wars lost and confused at the mention of me jerking one dude off in a waterfall.

Recorder only rolled her eyes as she walked away from us, and Ky snickered at the passing comment. Delphine was walking into the room, looking around, focusing her eyes on the Word Wall.

"So, how does this work? You just…"

I nodded. "Walk up and rub myself all over the wall until it gives me what I want." I said with a smirk. "You can look away if you want."

Recorder rubbed her eyes, groaning as she looked away. "I don't want to see it… I don't want to see it… I want to stop seeing it… why? Why did you put that image in my head?"

I tried to hide the growing feeling of satisfaction smile from Recorder as I walked away from her. Seeing her getting upset over my antics was fueling my will to live.

The interior chamber in this ruin was a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. Having walked through the entire ruin filled with destroyed zombies, my nose was not having a fun time of it. And since I can smell with my tongue… whenever I talk, which… let's be honest here… I don't shut up, I can constantly taste that lovely decomposing man-meat during the whole walk down here. Not to mention the smell of lovely man sweat. Hadvar needs to learn about deodorant. I'm wondering if all of Skyrim does. Oh boy…

Anyway, I'm getting off topic, again. I seem to do that a lot these days. The interior chamber was great. It felt like the caves I used to go exploring in when I was a child. I loved going through the caves in southern Ohio, and some of Kentucky, I think. I'm not really sure, honestly, where most of these caves were. But, I loved spending time in them. The cold crisp air, the fresh cave water that was ice cold. The bats. All of it. Except the cramped spaces. That triggered me.

Anyway, this cave was bigger than Mammoth Caves, more open too. Sunlight was streaming in from holes in the mountain above us, and the Word Wall was lit up by a rather large opening in the cave, lighting it up wonderfully. The stairs leading up to the Word Wall were still clean, and I'm guessing the rain or snow falling into this chamber does a lot for washing the stairs clean. The only thing I'm unclear of is how there was a waterfall anyway. We're at the top of the mountain… where is the water coming from anyway? The clouds? I don't think so. Stupid programmers.

As I walked up the stairs, coming up to the platform that contained the Word Wall and the guardian of it. The crypt had been smashed open, the very guardian torn apart and set on fire. I knew Thrawn had to have dealt with him in order to obtain the Dragonstone. I wanted to play with him a bit, but I guess I'll never get the chance now. Man, so far, this adventure of mine really hasn't seen much action for me, has it? I fought like… one bandit so far. That's it. And the Titan, which I lost to.

I rolled my eyes at the burnt corpse, looking over at Thrawn. "Really? Killing the Draugr is one thing, but burning him, cutting off his hands, cutting out his eyeballs, and sewing his legs together… why?"

Thrawn looked over at me, arching his eyebrows. "He's a zombie, Dragonborn. They come back to life, even headless, from what I've seen. He is blinded, incapable of using any offensive means, and cannot travel. I feared he would rise again once we reached this point with you in tow. I would not risk your safety for any measure of honor among the dead. You should be thankful I have given you as much foresight as I have found in my experience. Previous attempts at raids such as these have left my men surprised when the dead stood up and bit them. Most of them turned within days. I would not like to lose my only tool against the dragon god. I cannot begin to tell you how much your alliance has cost me up until this point. Allowing my lessers to capture multiple forts of mine, confiscating untold valuable relics of immeasurable power, as well as losing the lives of my soldiers on reclaiming the Dragonstone currently on your person. The dinner I had planned, the Jedi I have stayed from execution, the orphans I may have created in the wake of my march up here, all of which will grow up and attempt to avenge their fallen parents. All so that, I could stand here, and talk to you, make you my ally, and set you on the path of your manifested destiny. I sure hope you live up to your potential. You owe it to the hundreds I have slaughtered and lost just to get here." Man… I can see why his men hate him. No wonder he has a rebellion on his hands.

I turned to face him. "You ever think that the reason you have a rebellion on your hands is because you're a douche?"

He didn't respond to me, only turning around and coughing in his hands. "Please, just hurry this along. I'm already late for my mid-afternoon tea."

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the Word Wall. I scanned it for anything, and near the middle, I could see a glowing rune. Now… this… I never understood this. The whole Word Wall is that… a giant wall of Words, all talking about some hero or some villain, and it's made of… words. Dragon Words. And yet… I can only learn one? There's just _Fus_? That's the only one my eyes can gleam knowledge from? Why? That makes no sense!

But, _Fus_ was glowing, just like in the game. So, game logic still works here. Glad to know I'm not breaking the game by making it real. As I stared at it, the giant glowing mist flowing off it started swirling towards me, and I heard that windy sound as the word basically flew into my head through my eyes. Man… such a stupid way of getting me to read more.

Everyone started gathering around me, and I nodded. "Yup, you saw right. That word just glowed and flew into my brain through my eyes."

Delphine crossed her arms. "What are you talking about? You were just standing there, glaring at the Word Wall. Has it worked? Do you have the Word of Power?"

I nodded. "Yup. I know Kung _Fus_." Double whammy pun reference. I know you're smacking your faces, but… you're welcome.

M'aiq face-palmed at my joke, muttering as he walked away. Huh… that's interesting. Everyone else responded by looking me in the eye, as if they didn't get that I just made a horrible joke. Even Recorder didn't seem to get it, but she was shaking her head, angrily crossing her arms. I mean… I get it. She hates me. No matter what I say and do… she's gonna hate me. I ruined whatever kind of friendship we could have had early on… and now, if I want her on my side… I'm going to have to work for it. Nothing in this world comes easily all the time. If I want her friendship… I'm going to have to earn it. Like Ruby and Maleek. Maybe.

Ky was hissing a laugh at what she thought was a joke, which made me realize… she just likes me. No reason to like me… but… she just does. She was programmed to be an ally, and unlike Recorder, she's not from some other world that deals with gamers and helps them with their quests, only to find out that I'm an immoral asshole that plays with other people's bodies to do things that would be considered unholy and unforgiveable to anyone in our world if one of our own was suddenly possessed.

But… I'm here, and I'm real. And that means… I'm still me. Not me behind a screen. And I do things a little differently when I'm responsible for real lives.

I looked back over to Delphine. "Yes, I know the Word of Power. We have the Stone, we have the Word… now, we just need to go to Whiterun, tell the Jarl about the dragon, and he'll come up to face us. Then, we all work together to kill the bastard… and then I'll prove once and for all… that I'm the Dragonborn."

So… that was it then. My first dungeon was finished… and I got to do nothing. Even the loot was taken away by Thrawn's men when they first came through here. If he wants me to grow as a heroine, I'm going to need something to practice on, something that's not bandits in their forts. Remember… I have Deadly Bandits installed, and those places are literally walking death traps for me. At least until I leveled up.

"So, Hadvar. That Personal Scroll. I totally forgot about it, but I'd like to have one now. Is that scribe here?" I looked over from Hadvar to the only Imperial that was here with us.

Hadvar nodded, turning his attention to the Imperial I was looking at. He was an old man, withered, bald as an eagle. He had a giant backpack on his person, and when Hadvar waved him forward, he nodded a welcome to me as he walked up.

"You are new to the Empire if you do not already have a scroll." He said as he walked over to me. "The scroll works pretty simply. I just need you to give me a thumbprint." He unrolled the scroll, showing me a drawn magick sigil. It had the six schools of magicka on it, all surrounding a circle. "I just need your bloody fingerprint, and this will imprint on your soul, connecting you to a binding contract as a personage of the Empire. This scroll is not only a binding contract as a citizen of the Empire, but also gives you the benefit of what we call: Leveling Up, which gives you improved Perks, such as… magicka boost, and whatnot, using our knowledge of astrology, we've managed to use the actual stars, which are Aedric forces, to boost your abilities. The scroll itself will show you your level, based upon your growing abilities."

The Imperial pricked my right index finger with a small dagger, and grabbed my finger and directed it to the summoning circle. He pressed my finger in the circle and moved it around like I was in a police station taking my fingerprints. He released my finger, showing me the bloody imprint of my scaly finger. Huh… no fingerprints. Just… arrowhead scale patterns. Cute.

I watched as my image started to form in the scroll. I was wearing my novice robes. My health seemed maxed, my stamina a little low. My magicka was full as well. That's good. I scrolled over to my Perks, seeing that I was currently Level 2. My Hand-to-Hand seemed to have gone up three points, my Restoration up by 2, and my One-Handed up by 3. Well, that's good. So, I had one Perk point I could use. I always use these things for making it easier for me to use magicka. I don't see a reason to not use it now. Except that I mostly might use weapons and my fists. And it was amazing to see Hand-to-Hand back in Elder Scrolls so… I guess I'll improve that first. I selected the first Perk, making my fists 20% stronger. That's cool. And as I selected it, I felt something in my arms, my muscles tensing and becoming slightly firmer. I felt like I could punch something harder. That's… that's pretty cool.

I smiled as I looked at the scribe. "You have helped me reach the next level. And here I was starting to think you were just a sadistic psycho bitch."

The old man's eye twitched as he stared at me. "Why would you even say that?"

M'aiq, over in the corner, snickered to himself as he turned away from me. Once again… that's very interesting. The more references I do, the more he breaks character as a simple no-nothing Khajiit. Lorkhan, the god of mortality, the knowing reference machine of Elder Scrolls… I have you pegged.

I smiled at the scribe. "Sorry, power rush." I wrapped my hands over his, giving his hands a loving squeeze. "Thank you for all of your help. Because of you… I may now become the heroine this land needs." Just not the one it necessarily deserves.

Thrawn walked over to me, glancing at my scroll. "Congratulations on becoming part of the Empire. You are now a pawn, one the Emperor and his forces can look up in their own scrolls, track down, and even cancel your abilities." Um…

I looked over to Hadvar. "That's not true, is it?"

Hadvar shrugged. "The Perks, yes. While the Perks were created after the fall of the Imperial City to the Thalmor, the intention of shutting down powers and tracking citizens began with the thought of the Mythic Dawn…"

I nodded. "Yeah, I get it. Government-sponsored super powers." Makes it easier to shut down any political opponents. Man… the Empire is shrewder than I thought. "Are the Stormcloaks currently…"

Hadvar nodded. "Most Stormcloaks have ditched their scrolls in lieu of being untraceable. More than once, our trackers have been ambushed by a single Stormcloak setting their scroll in a troll den. Ulfric Stormcloak has declared the Scrolls a bastardization of hard work, and his followers have decided to combat our soldiers with the significant disadvantage."

I crossed my arms. "So, have your soldiers been… granted special perks?"

Hadvar shook his head. "Remember what I said about your body and altering it with too many Perks? They are tied to Levels for the very reason of your body being incapable of handling that much manipulation to your energy network. Take the Perk you just used. Had you had seven more Perks, and put them all on your arms… your arms would become unbearably heavy, blood-flow restricted, you might even pass out. Your body would be incapable of handing it currently. But, being heavily built up by training your body, and Leveling up, and unlocking the ability to use the Perk… which are locked behind leveling up certain parts of your ability tree… your body is ready for the advantages granted to it."

That's a nice way to put it. "So, what's the average level?"

Delphine raised her hand. "I'm Level 30, if you recall."

Hadvar nodded. "Yes, we get it. You're an advanced warrior." He looked me in the eye. "I'm Level 15, and I'm considered an advanced Imperial soldier. The average level any normal soldier gets to it around Level 9 or 10."

I nodded. "And I'm Level 2."

Hadvar nodded. "Yes."

Thrawn folded his hands behind his back. "My average soldier stands around Level 20. Though I have few to my name. And my Tanks go up to Level 40." So, the thing I fought against as Level 1… was Level 40ish. Man, no wonder I was thrown around like a ragdoll. My Monk Fist is OP if I could even impact the Tank like I had. So… level gaps are not as much of a thing as I would have guessed then. If I could stand a bit of a chance against the Tank without him one-shotting me, and if I was actually able to knock him down with my strongest punch, which is a thing that shouldn't exist in this world… then I can stand up to a Level 10, as long as I'm smarter.

I looked over to Thrawn. "And what Level are you?"

Thrawn smirked. "You believe I am a citizen of the Empire?" He glanced at me. "I suppose I may have taken advantage of the technology, making my own version of it, and… making adaptations to it." He looked over to me. "Let's just say, my first Tanks revealed the reason for the restriction on Level Capping. It is one of the few instances where I believed this Empire I've found myself in has actually developed a proper system for personal growth and reward. As such, my Level… is classified information. As you might have suspected, one's level will not determine a battle, but how one uses whatever advantages they have acquired. My gear is strongly Enchanted for my benefit, but rest assured, my Level is undocumented."

I almost chuckled. "It's over 9,000, isn't it?"

He glanced away. "I will not share any information of this nature with you. It only serves to give you an edge against me if you decide to betray me."

Me? Betray him? I'm not going to let him gaslight me like that. "One of us is known for betraying people." I pointed my finger to my face. "And it's not _this_ pretty girl."

Thrawn looked away. "I will not apologize for my actions in the wake of war. I bring results."

Yeah… you do a lot of stuff. Most of it bad. And I'm the main heroine of this story. He'll likely try to betray me at some point. I'm expecting it… but at the same time, I won't go looking for it. I know the generic story of… the bad guy only becomes the bad guy because the good guy wouldn't trust him. What movie could I use as a reference? Hmm… Wow… I don't have one off the top of my head. Mission Impossible? Red? Star Wars? Yes! Anakin! Just like Anakin.

I shrugged and turned for the staircase leading up to the exit. "Okay, whatever. We're officially done here so… onto Whiterun." I stopped to look at everyone. Hadvar, the scribe, Delphine, Ky'ren-thia, Thrawn, M'aiq, and Recorder. No one else actually followed us down except for Thrawn's men, and the Titan I fought earlier. "And now… I have a question. I now have what I needed from Thrawn." I nodded to him. "Are you going to stick around? Observe the battle between the dragon and me? Help me fight it?"

Thrawn seemed to mull it over. "I have yet to meet a dragon, or engage one in combat. I suppose that I would suffer from the consequences of not witnessing such an event." He looked me in the eye. "So, Dragonborn. Do you know where this dragon will attack?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but… I kind of need something to happen before I can fight it. It will show overhead and destroy Whiterun's western tower. A few guards will be killed and it will flee. By the time a single guard arrives to Whiterun, I will be there to witness the event happen, and I will be asked to go slay the dragon, having the most experience of anyone seen one so far." I nodded to Hadvar. "Except for Hadvar, of course."

Hadvar shook his head. "But… the knowledge you seemed to draw upon, even knowing the dragon's name, how to evade him… that is something I could never replicate. You know things before they're going to happen… most of the time. You are the expert here, not me."

He's got that right. I am the expert. That also means that lives are in my hands. Well… webbed… clawed… hands.

"So, the rest of you." I said to everyone. "I cannot guarantee who will live, or who will die… if you join me… I'm sure some of you will. _More of you_ does not equal better chances of survival. It usually just means… more dead. So, what I'm really asking is this… will you join me in this battle? If you don't want to… I don't blame you. The dragon will not be some pushover. We won't be alone. There will be guards, and Jarl Balgruuf's housecarl. That much I know for a fact. Actually…" I thought about how things have been going since I got here. Nothing's played out like I thought it would. "I actually… I don't know how this will go. I'm in the dark, just as much as the rest of you are. I can only speculate based on what I have seen, and what I have seen… does not end well." My followers are not immortal anymore. They can't be. That just destroys the whole feeling of this being a real world with real consequences.

Thrawn rubbed his chin in thought, his eyes narrowed and focused on the ground, his eyebrows furrowed, and his lips pursed tightly. "Perhaps… a plan then?"

I waved to Thrawn. "Let's hear it."

He looked over to Delphine. "You are a dragon hunter by trade, correct?"

Delphine looked put on the spot, but she nodded. "Our forms were designed for rending and rendering dragons immobile until they die… yes."

Thrawn waved his hand to her. "So, then. If you were preparing to ambush a dragon, what methods would you rely upon?"

Delphine closed her eyes for a second. "Dragonborn, how will this dragon approach us?"

"From the southern mountain, flying into view, and then skirting overhead the burned tower. If I'm up there, he'll probably come for a pause, look me in the eye… and then… try to kill me with fire."

"This dragon will breathe fire?" Thrawn asked.

I shrugged. "Or Frost." With the mod I have installed, it could be any spell honestly. "Or any elemental magick that exists in this world. Even poison."

Thrawn sighed. "Not a good sign. A basic fire-repellent cloak is one thing, but waterproof boots… that's quite another." He looked down at his pristine white uniform. "I will have to change into my throwaway robes." He has throwaway robes. Why the feck not.

"I know at least one dragon variant can vomit mud." I said with a smile. Seeing Thrawn stiffen up at hearing that made my day. I know Thrawn's weakness. He's… a germaphobe. Oh… he and I will get along… famously. Hehehehe….

Having learned that, I plan on using that against him in case he ever tries to betray me. I good spit in his face will warm things up.

Delphine rubbed her eyes. "Great… so we've narrowed it down to… it can either kill us all with poison gas, burn us all to the ground, or… anything else we can possibly imagine." She looked over to me. "But you did give me something. Its location. Flying over… this mountain?" I nodded. "And it will head for the western tower?" I nodded again. "I say, we use her as bait then, set up archers along the mountain. As it passes over us, we pelt the bastard with everything we have. Ballista if we have then, arrows, spells. Anything and everything we have. The old Blades used to employ the use of netted dual-spears, which they'd use to wrap the dragons up so we could take them to the ground."

Thrawn smiled. "That is ingenious. I will get my men on that."

I raised my hand. "And what happens if I get caught in the crossfire?"

Delphine glanced at me, and Thrawn too. They both looked like they were weighing their options of just how important I was compared to just how annoying I was.

Delphine shrugged. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Dragonborn."

Thrawn nodded. "My men are highly trained, and will not, for one second, miss or hit a target I have not deemed annoying, or worthy."

Great… that's such a confidence booster. I shrugged. "Well, while Thrawn and Delphine get that all set up… I'll go take this rock… this beautiful giant rock… over to Whiterun. I'll be back probably tomorrow morning-ish."

"Tomorrow?" Delphine asked. "Why not today?"

I shrugged. "I kind of want to buy some stuff." Need to earn some money too. "And spend the night in an inn. You know… get some proper rest. It will give you time to set up for your ambush anyway. I know this though… the dragon will not attack until I go to Whiterun. So… everything should be fine." I looked over to the rest of my companions. "Well, Recorder, Ky, and Hadvar. Want to join me in Whiterun?"

Ky nodded. "Sure. Oh wait… I'm a Khajiit."

I waved it off. "You're with the Dragonborn. You'll get special privilege."

Recorder shrugged. "Sure, why not? I need some new sweetrolls."

I nodded again, and this time, it sparked a memory. "One of your scrolls you were looking for is in the marketplace. I'll show you where."

That brought a smile to her face. "Um… thanks, Dragonborn."

Yay… Recorder brownie points.

Hadvar looked over to the scribe. "When you get to Tullius, I need you to inform him about the necessary ceasefire. Understood?"

The scribe looked at me, as if unsure about the whole situation.

I nodded. "Trust me… I'm a seeress. This problem is bigger than the war."

The scribe nodded. "Yeah… sure. I'll head right back to Solitude." He nodded a farewell to me. "Nice to meet you, Argonian."

"Talia Cearbhail." I replied back.

"That's… oddly Redguard… or Breton. Huh.." He scratched his chin.

"Yeah, I'm weird." I shrugged. He seemed to buy that.

I looked over to M'aiq. "So… M'aiq…"

He shook his head. "He will wait with the Blade woman."

Delphine glanced at him. "Oh? Is there a reason?"

M'aiq showed her his fangs in a toothy smile. "Because he does not wish to be in the middle of a dragon fight, and you will protect poor M'aiq if dragon comes near."

Delphine nodded. "That is what I would do. You're not a fighter, are you?"

M'aiq shrugged. "M'aiq is M'aiq. There is nothing else to tell."

I was getting some hardcore vibes from this cat. There is no way he's just a normal Khajiit. He might actually be a god among men, just like the theory suggested. Oh well, I can't worry about that right now. I really want to hit up a nearby place, earn some gold, and then buy some stuff. How much gold do I have anyway? Let's see, I have about 120 gold left over. I could use it to challenge people to come kick my ass, and double it. Like that woman who accidentally killed a Companion. I wish I had loot to sell. In due time, Tabby. In due time. I'll just use what I have and earn a lot later. A nice hot bath would be great. I can take care of that myself. I'm sure Whiterun needs a new invention. Huh… yeah! That's… that's not a bad idea. I can earn gold by giving people a nice steaming hot tub. I have Flames! Barely anyone else does! Sweetness! I'm going to be rich!

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

I can't wait to get to Whiterun. I'm just so done with this cold and damp place. After all, Whiterun is an awesome place, right?


	16. Inside Whiterun

**Ceabhail** :

So... things happen. You should have seen this coming.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

 _Record 5R12_

 _As previously stated, I'm following a body-snatcher, a parasitic creature that is somehow able to take over/control famous heroes of the multiverse. This particular body-snatcher is posing as a seeress, able to explain away her exposure to this world and future events by saying she's able to glimpse the future. Her knowledge of this world, and how things will play out are… troubling to say the least. I wouldn't worry so much if our supposed heroine wasn't a total weirdo. Her knowledge, according to her, comes from her ability to revisit this world over and over again, experiencing the events of this conflict again and again. She's claimed to know things about me by doing this very method. I'm skeptical, but… a lot of things she says seem to have an accuracy to them. And if things play out like she suggests, I'll be witnessing a dragon attack by tomorrow evening._

 _We journeyed to Bleak Falls Burrow, where our body-snatcher was to meet with the invader Thrawn. He seems to know about her being Dragonborn, and I assumed he wanted to capture her for experimentation. As it was… he wanted her as an ally. I wasn't far off, honestly. And our Dragonborn, who can foresee events… was stunned. It showed me that she has never encountered this before. She even muttered to herself about how this shouldn't have happened. How Thrawn was "programmed" to be her enemy._

 _It was enlightening to say the least. This body-snatcher so far has shown little apathy. For a parasite that invades bodies and does whatever she wants with them, she so far has done nothing but talk to people, train with her magicka and sword fighting, and geek out to her Personal Scroll. She even learned the function of using Portal magicka to place things in her Personal Inventory. Honestly… she's like a child. Jeez… I wonder if she is. She did say that it is mostly children that do these invasions._

 _Anyway, we journeyed to Bleak Falls Burrow, met Thrawn, and… she joined forces with him, under the promise that he would… play nicely with the locals living here. She almost went to war with the strongest person in Skyrim… unless he stopped killing people that weren't her. And that's the odd thing! She's… almost a good person. Almost!_

 _We were given the Dragonstone, another thing she knew about, and she planned an encounter with a dragon. The premise… we're going to talk to the Jarl of Whiterun, and he'll get interrupted by a guard. A dragon will attack a watchtower outside the town. So, once we get to Whiterun and talk to the Jarl… I'll know for certain if she is what she claims. Being a seer is one thing… knowing cause and effect is another. And for everything she seems to know, there is a lot she gets wrong. Let's see how correct this event will be._

 _{Talia in the distance} Oh my gods… the town's on fire!_

 _Oh! She's right, Whiterun's on fire! I have to go. Recorder Ellen, out!_

 _…_

I couldn't believe what I was seeing: smoke clouds flowing out of Whiterun. Did… did the dragon already attack Whiterun? Gods dammit! This world keeps throwing me for a loop! And… I left all my best warriors down by the watchtower. If Delphine was here… she'd know what to do.

Wait… I'm a person! I was a soldier. I know how to do things! Okay… the town's either under attack, or… there's a massive bonfire going on. I don't know how things work here anymore. Everything's been different from what I've expected. This… this could just be a massive party. Has to be! There is no way this can possibly be a bad thing!

…

[Lydia Silver-Sword]

"Everyone, get up to Dragonsreach! Move!" I screamed, waving people up the staircase leading up to the massive highly-defensible castle. I thought we had this disease contained. I thought the dead in our crypts couldn't escape the barricaded door. We were wrong. The dead were overrunning the town. We had no options left. We had to get to Dragonsreach, barricade the doors, and hope for the best. If nothing else, we can repel through the dragon entrance down to the ground outside the town. If that's the only way to survive this ordeal… we'll do whatever it takes.

I waved Ysolda and Mila past me, looking down at the Redguard family making their way up to me. The man, Amren, was lagging behind his wife and daughter. Right behind them were misshaped zombies, stumbling up to them with their unproportionally legs. Their deformities worked in our favor, because these zombies can't seem to run without falling, and walk at a pace of a slow jog. Running from them is easy enough, but there was nowhere to run. The gate exiting the town was overrun and barricaded off from the outside, and we couldn't risk letting these things out into the rest of the world. For better or worst… this town is where this ends. Even with we all go with it.

As Amren and his family ran past us, I nodded to the row of the guards standing on the steps behind me. "Take aim, boys!" I pulled back my own bow and arrow. Time to down some zombies. "Fire!" I let my arrow fly, scoring one right in the face. The guards' arrows rained down on the zombies, some of the arrows making a couple of zombies fall to the ground, dead.

Amren stopped by me, turning to face the zombies starting their climb up the stairs. "Saffir, take Braith and go! I'll slow them down."

"Don't be stupid, Amren, this is no time for your stupid honor!" Saffir screamed, reaching for her husband's hand.

"No, I have to do this." He replied.

I rolled my eyes, swinging my bow over the back of his head, hitting him hard enough to knock him out. I caught him before he fell, and threw him into Saffir's arms. "Get him out of here."

Saffir nodded. "Right away. And thanks, Lydia."

"Just go!" I screamed, swinging my bow at an incoming zombie, clocking it in the head hard enough to send it crashing off the staircase, falling into the pool of water underneath us. I readied another arrow and prepared to fire at the next wave of zombies coming up to us. "Dammit, this is impossible!" I looked to the guards. "Is that everyone?"

The guard closest to me released an arrow. "If there is anyone else, they're surely dead by now."

I looked down the staircase, seeing nothing but moving bodies. Standing among the zombies was Brenuin, his body barely recognizable. I felt sorry for the old Redguard. He didn't deserve the fate he was dealt. I brought my bow up, pulled back an arrow, and took aim at his head. I'm sorry, Brenuin. I truly am. I released the arrow.

"We can't stay here any longer." The guard captain looked down at the mess of zombies rushing up the staircase. "We need to fallback, now!"

I readied another arrow. I launched it at the lead zombie, hitting him in the knee. It slowed him down, and with him in the front, I'm sure he'll make the others topple over him. "Okay, let's go. I just bought us some time." And since that was my last arrow… I sure hope it counts.

…

[Me, gods dammit! I'm the star of this story, so… yeah]

"Record! Keep up!" I screamed back at the woman who insisted on standing as far away from me as possible, all so she could privately record her journal entries without me listening in on her. I had a bad feeling about what was going on in Whiterun. There could be one hell of a party going on right now! And I'm NOT THERE. Cake, massive cooked mounds of meat. I haven't eaten in hours, and I'm starving. The last thing I ate was the steak Thrawn served for me. And I ate the thing by shoving it in my face like it was the last steak I'd ever eat.

We were racing up the road that led to Whiterun's gate, which the main drawbridge was pulled up. Pulled up? Like… during the civil war battle? The drawbridge was raised? That's… disconcerting. The bad feeling I had was growing worse. I couldn't hear laughter over the walls, just the sounds of groaning, moaning, and screaming. Wait… was there an orgy going on in Whiterun? Um… maybe I should stay here for an hour. Let them finish up.

I looked over to Ky. She looked as confused as I did. "I hear a lot of screaming." Her ears were flicking. "I smell death."

My scales ran cold. Death? Well… shit. I reached for my magicka saber. "Okay, so, this is not a drill. Whiterun is under attack." I looked over to Recorder, who was just now joining us. "Record, this might be trouble. You should stay here."

She reached for her ebony katana. "Me? Stay here? But…" She looked me in the eye. "What are you going to do?"

I snapped my cyan blade to life. "What I do best."

She crossed her arms. "Make bad puns?"

I nodded. "Totally." I have a zombie mod added to the game. I think I know where it attached itself to. "So… remember when I said there was a zombie infection somewhere in this world. I think… I think it's here. At Whiterun."

Ky sighed. "Ky'ren-thia will do what she does best. She will kill the zombies, all of them."

Hadvar, sighed as he reached for his shield. "The town is in trouble? We must go in there and save it."

I shook my head. "Ky, Hadvar… one scratch, one bite… and you'll have the virus inside you. This will be dangerous. I don't know if you'll turn into one of them… or if you'll become violent… but… I don't want to kill you, any of you." I looked at Recorder, then to Hadvar, and then over to Ky. "I'm 50 percent resilient to all poisons and diseases. And… back at the dojo… um… temple, I was untouchable. And I have this." I waved my magicka saber. "I'll… I'll be fine. If you have ranged weapons, get somewhere high, out of reach, and take sniping shots, but stay off the ground." This was crazy. This was so fucking crazy. Why Whiterun? Why at the start of the game?

I released the breath building tension in my shoulder blades. Okay, Talia… this is a good thing. You know where the virus is… and… you have a chance to end it before it becomes a worldwide thing.

I took the roundabout way past the raised drawbridge, the stone walkway that ran beside it. I had to jump a few wooden spear barricades, but luckily for me, I wasn't in a rush or anything. As I cleared the last checkpoint, I fought the urge to lower the drawbridge. I feel like the residents here up it up on purpose. Too bad the wall wasn't high enough out here to stop the zombies from falling to the road on the other side of the decline. Most of them would survive the fall. I would.

Standing in front of the gate was were a few guards. "Halt! The city is locked down."

I nodded. "I know, and I'm here to help." I showed him my glowing sword. "Let me in… I'll kill every zombie in there." I have a monk ring, and Histskin. I should be fine. I should be fine.

My legs were trembling as I looked at the guards. "I really need to talk to Jarl Balgruuf. I need to tell him about the dragon coming for his town. If I have to kill a few zombies to get to him, I'll kill every single one of them." My voice was just as shaky as my legs were. I hate zombies. I really hate zombies, but… they weren't supposed to be real. They were just supposed to add some danger to the world for me as I played in VR. I didn't… I never wanted to see one in real life.

I sighed. "You only respawn once." I said as I walked past the guard. "Either let me in, or I'll go past you."

The guard looked to the other guard. "We can't let you in. They might rush past you… and we can't let these things escape the town."

I nodded. "So, if I go over the wall, you won't care? As long as I don't open up the main gate?"

The guards looked at each other. "Do you mind?" The gate guard asked to the other.

The other gate guard shrugged. "I don't know her."

The guard looked to me. "If you can get up there without letting the mutations out, you may enter."

Great…

I sighed as I readied my Force Enhancement. I pushed my FP into my legs, aiming myself to the wall, and readied the dagger I had strapped to my side. I jumped as quickly as I could, flying up into the sky, landing almost at the top of the wall. I slammed my dagger into the stonework as hard as I could, making a nice standing tool as I pulled myself on top of it. Thank you, ninjutsu. Thank you, kunai training. Still never attempted anything that quick or high before, but… here I am. I was high enough that I could see over the wall. The houses were mostly intact, and I could see twenty or so zombies climbing up the staircase leading to Dragonsreach. A few guards were pushing a wooden barricade over the small entranceway to the palace. Well… people are alive. That's good. I sighed as I jumped off my dagger, using the Force to land on top of the wall. I looked down, swearing that if Force Enhancement does not protect me from falling damage like it did in the game… I was going to be very mad.

I took a deep breath, letting myself fall into the town. The wind took me, and I quickly found myself tracking my fall to the guards' barracks. I landed on the roof, tucking my knees as I came to a stop. I felt no pain at all, almost like the Force was protecting me from the landing. That's good. I'm glad that worked. My knees popped a bit, but that's normal for a person my age.

I picked myself up, preparing to jump to the next rooftop. I launched myself to the next building: The Drunken Huntsman. So far, I was keeping myself away from any zombies. Good job so far.

I looked over my shoulder, looking up to the wall I had just fallen from. I could see Ky standing up there, keeping an eye on me, her tail flicking as she looked around the town. I should have given her a bow and some arrows. Heck, I wish I had more practice using one. I suck with bows.

I waved to Ky. "Wish me luck?"

"Luck." She purred back.

I heard a grunt as Hadvar managed to climb up the top of the wall, huffing and puffing as he rested his butt on the top of the wall. "I'll provide overwatch."

That brought a smile to me. "Thanks, hubby." That got a nice red tint growing on his cheeks. I felt better about this now. I have Ky ready to watch me die, hopefully without getting involved, and Hadvar with his bow and arrows. I actually feel better now.

I pushed off the roof, reactivating my jumping spell, jumping over the next layer of town wall, jumping my way over to Amren's house's roof. And it was here that I could see the dead bodies already forming up. Dead guards, each one with some kind of deformity that had begun to grow on them. The infection hit them. And then… their fellow guards killed them for good measure. I'd do the same.

I sighed as I looked to the Hall of the Dead. There were several zombies already climbing out of the smashed doorway. Might as well start at the source. I looked up at Hadvar, nodding to him. He readied an arrow.

I screamed as loudly as I could, drawing the attention of the zombies around me. "Paar-thur-nax!" And I waited for a few seconds, hoping to hear a reply, but none came. So, I sighed and pushed off the roof, activating my cyan blade as I came flying for a knee kick to the first zombie I saw's face. I hit a squishy rubbery face, and I basically flew through him. As I fell to the ground, and through the zombie I kneed, I swung my blade across the other zombies, cutting all three of them in half with no trouble at all.

I landed in front of the Hall of the Dead, dead body parts flying past me as I landed in a crouch. Well, Talia… you're being badass for once. Let's keep it up. Now… what to do about the Hall of the Dead?

I smiled as I realized what I had to do. And I'm glad I thought ahead for once. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bottle of oil I grabbed while I was in the tutorial dungeon. I had no idea I was going to use this so early on… but… this is for the best. The beams looming over the Hall of the Dead's entrance were made out of wood. There was an entire wooden… awning? I'm not sure what to call it, but there were giant wooden beams that were supporting more wooden beams over the walkway that led down into the Hall of the Dead. If I cut down the beams, blocking the entrance, and then set it on fire… that would not only block the zombies in, but burn any that try to exit. Talia… this is a stupid plan…. So it's perfect!

I jumped up the staircase, coming up to my first pillar. I wasn't sure how strong I'd have to swing this lightsaber for it to pass through wood, so I thought I'd do this chainsaw style. I gently pressed my saber up to the thick pillar and pushed against it. More or less, it worked like it did in the movies. There was a lot of fire coming off the pillar, solving the issue of using my oil too quickly, and it passed through the pillar's layers seconds at a time. It wasn't too hard, but it was hot. I aimed the chipped pillars towards the Hall of the Dead, hoping that the beams would fall on the building, and more or less, my first pillar creaked, but… didn't break. It was too well connected to the overall structure. Hmm…

I skipped the other pillars and instead, climbed up to the roof of the structure, awning… whatever it was. Once I was up on the roof, I thought I'd just… cut the topside beams off and let them block the entranceway. I'm smart, people. So, I balanced myself on one of the beams and began cutting the one next to me. I cut it to be somewhat close to the size of the staircase, and I got close, I think. I cut through one end, and immediately, I saw the beam shift, creaking as it began to fold under its own weight.

I shimmied myself across my beam to the other side. I began sliding my lightsaber through the other end, and once I got about… four inches in… the remainder of the weight gave way and I almost fell off my beam as I reacted to the beam screaming out in cracks as it snapped and fell to the other side. I switched myself over by one beam and repeated. And I basically did this going all the way to the end, just cutting one beam after another. All while more zombies were crawling out of the Hall of the Dead. I wonder how many draugr there were in this tomb, probably more than enough to destroy this town. And now… with the pile of beams piling up… this should be mostly closed off. I could see a few zombies trying to get past the massive beams of wood, but so far… that door was mostly closed shut, and the most any zombie could manage was sticking out an arm. Good for me. I did something good. Time to clean up the rest.

I looked up at Hadvar, happy to see that he and Ky were still stalking around the wall perimeter, keeping watch. I scanned the town, seeing more zombies running around the Talos statue, some climbing up the staircase leading to the Companions' guildhall. But those were small numbers. I was interested in the twenty or so trying their best to breach the spear barricade blocking the entrance to Dragonsreach. I could see a few guards on the other side, stabbing zombies with their swords, trying their best to keep the barricade intact. I could tell that it wasn't working. The zombies were slowly chipping the barricade away. I had to get myself over there.

I took a deep breath, feeling the strain of overusing my Force Enhancement Spell. Oh well, I have to at least do something. Monk Spell: Slow Time. That should do it.

I jumped off the beam I was sitting on, letting myself fall to the spiky grass underneath. I let myself catch my breath, steadying my heartbeat as I prepared myself mentally for this spell. Spells are attached to emotions, to duress. Monk Spells are supposed to be activated by clarity, but focus. Fucking zombies… I can't focus around fucking zombies.

 _Grruu…_

I heard a grumble next to me, so I snapped my lightsaber up, catching one of the mutated zombies sneaking up on me. I snapped my lightsaber right at the zombie's throat, cutting his head cleanly off before he could come within scratching distance of me. He must have been one of the survivors of my cave-in.

Just the act of killing that zombie made me feel slightly better, but my legs and arms were still shaking. Countless nightmares of stuff like this kept me from playing horror games. I didn't mind horror movies, being able to separate myself from the characters doing stupid stuff, but playing as the character themselves… I never could do it. And yet… here I am… living the fucking nightmare. Why did I choose a zombie mod? To overcome my fears? Fuck that shit. Fuck these zombies!

I held that as my mentality as I walked my way over to the staircase leading up to Dragonsreach. A few zombies near the end of the staircase turned to look at me, even turned around to charge me. I slashed through them with the ease of swatting flies. The problem was… I only killed three of them. Twenty more were beginning to turn to face me.

"What's going on?" I heard a woman ask from the barricade.

"An Argonian with a glowing sword is engaging the mutations!" The guard watching me reported.

The woman stuck her head into my view, looking at me. "Hey, you should run! These things are dangerous."

I nodded. "I know. I'm helping." I said as I launched myself forward, slashing the head off a zombie. "Provide some archer support!" I screamed up to Hadvar.

"On it!" Hadvar screamed, sniping the head of a zombie in the middle of the horde. Good plan, hitting the ones in the middle.

I snapped my sword out, cutting one of the zombies in the chest, and flicked my blade out, cutting through two more. More arrows from Hadvar rained down onto the horde, killing one after one. Man… these zombies were almost pushovers. Then again… my sword can cut through almost any metal. Cutting through an entire body would probably kill a zombie thing easily.

I wanted so badly to do something cool, like throw a zombie over my shoulder, kick one in the chest into other zombies behind him, and then slash their heads off while somersaulting over them, but… I'm still new to actually killing things without the aid of a mid-range rifle. So, I played it safe and kept my kendo form as I poked zombies in the throat, slashed them across the chest, and most importantly in kendo… overhead slashed them, which means… I dropped my sword tip through their heads, cleaving their heads in half. It seemed the easiest thing to do with my beam sword was just to point it at something I wanted dead, and then… poked them thoroughly. (sigh)…. So much for my wacky swing my lightsaber around me in flashy grandiose style, but… this works too.

Huh… killing people is easier than I would have liked it to be. And since what I was doing was working, I just continued to stand there, whacking enemies in the head, letting them walk into the glowing beam of instant death. The ones that got their heads chopped off were rewarded with me poking their fallen heads, making sure they were truly dead. Once I had all twentyish zombies on the ground, I took the time to slice their limbs, stab their hearts, if they had any. I basically did what any sane person facing a zombie apocalypse would do… I made sure they couldn't get back up, no matter what.

Once every zombie was dead, and once I made sure they were dead, I looked down to see if any were sneaking up on us. There was nothing but a silent town. I looked up at Hadvar and Ky. "See if I missed any. Ky, be careful. Hadvar, snipe them down."

The both of them nodded and Ky jumped off the wall, sticking to rooftops as she jumped from one to another, kind of what I was doing earlier. She has to have some kind of enhancement spell of her own. Hadvar stuck to the rooftop, running across the rocky surface as he patrolled the town.

I turned my attention to climbing the rest of the staircase, hoping to talk to the guards at the top of the barricade. "Can you let me through?" I asked as I approached the three guards standing watch. Standing with them was a tall woman with long dark brown hair. She had steel armor. She looked familiar. Lydia maybe?

"Are you Lydia?" I asked her.

She looked surprised, pointing to herself. "You know me?"

That brought a smile to me. "Let's just say… there is a very popular story with you in it that I've read a few thousand times."

She scratched at her chin. "I don't know of any stories told of me."

I shrugged. "Maybe I'll tell you about it one day." I looked at the guards. "I have an important message for Jarl Balgruuf. Riverwood is in danger from a dragon attack. A dragon that destroyed all of Helgen."

The guards looked at each other. "We know about Helgen." Lydia replied. "I was just there, scouting the site. Are you a survivor?"

I nodded. "Yes. I survived Helgen. I'm prepared to tell Jarl Balgruuf all about it if he wishes."

Okay, Talia, don't rush the quests too quickly. Just let them play out naturally. All my interference might upset the desired outcomes I need in order to continuing predicting the future the way I am. I kept thinking about this ever since things kept changing on me, and I was forcing them to change by way of butterfly effect. That and people have actual thought now. If I said things differently, they'd think differently. If I kept to the script… they'd act according to script. Delphine following me… I changed that. I need Balgruuf to stay on script, and for that to happen, I can't just go out of my way to make him rush decisions.

Lydia nodded to me. "I can let you through."

I sighed as I pushed some FP into my step, hopping over the barricade. "That's okay. Don't want to risk more of those zombies coming in, can we?"

I thought today was going to be a light day, but… here we are. I wanted to come to Whiterun, sit down at a table, get some sleep, eat some food, dance with Ysolda, perhaps even take a warm bath, but… here we are. Whiterun is ravished, almost burned to the ground, overrun with zombies. If I was getting any rest tonight, it wasn't going to be in an inn. I can already tell. My eyes are tired, I'm tired. The sun's not even setting yet, and I'm exhausted. Sleeping on the stone floor in the Force Temple, having that awful nightmare… and then having to deal with Thrawn all day, mentally preparing myself for his likely betrayal. This was going to be my 'me' night. And it's been ruined so far. Let's just get this over with.

"Whoa…" Lydia said, drawing her bow, looking up into the sky.

I looked up, seeing a massive dragon circling overhead. It wasn't roaring, Shouting, or anything. It just flew around the town, looking down at us.

I waved up at the dragon, smiling as I said, "You're too late, Paarthurnax! I'm sorry I called you, but… the threat is gone now."

The dragon continued circling overhead, and I continued waving to him. I just hoped he wasn't annoyed at me calling him. So… he'll come if I call him.

"Want to have a chat?" I screamed up to him.

The guards looked up at him, and then down to me. They weren't sure what to make of the dragon flying overhead.

"Is that the dragon?" Lydia asked, keeping her bow aimed at it. "Is that the dragon that burned Helgen to the ground? The one that killed my parents?"

I shook my head. "No. Alduin destroyed Helgen. That's Paarthurnax. He's a good dragon. One of my best friends." It sounds weird to say it, but… it's true now. He is one of my best friends. One I've killed once or twice to stay in the good graces of the Blades. And sometimes, I gave Delphine and the old man the middle finger as I left their lousy guild behind me. "Hear that?" I screamed up to Paarthurnax. "We're friends!"

The dragon roared an answer, spitting fire up into the sky before turning around, heading back to his mountain. I guess he didn't want to chat… or he knows this town is too infected for him to land. I'm guessing it's the second one. He always seemed lonely. I'm going to change that, whenever I get to meet him.

I let myself wave goodbye to him as he flew off, leaving me to Lydia and the guards. I let myself sigh as I turned to look at her. "Okay, let's get this over with. Can you take me to Jarl Balgruuf?"

Lydia nodded. "Yes, of course." She glanced over to the other three guards. "You three, stay here and watch for more of those zombie mutations. And make sure you see the healer if you feel different."

"Feel different?" I asked. "Why? Were they scratched?"

Lydia glanced at me. "No. These zombies are different. They release spores… and we've had those who were weak succumb to the infection. We have our healer keeping us clean. It's not easy on her."

My scales were shaking at the thought. "But…" Zombies… zombies don't do that. Last of Us does that. Oh… oh, shit. This is a form of cordyceps. Fungal zombies. Now it makes sense.

I pulled out my oil container, throwing it at the zombies sitting on the staircase. And me, cutting them into pieces… letting more and more spores from their bodies fly into the air. Just like me to be that fucking stupid. I groaned as I summoned a small flame to my hand, spraying it at the oil I threw on the zombie corpses. I watched as the fire exploded, surrounding the cut corpses. I tried my best to fry the body parts before I turned to follow Lydia to the palace.

As soon as I caught up with her, we walked over the drawbridge, crossing the small moat. "So… magic user? You from the college?"

I shook my head. I couldn't claim that. "Just an Argonian girl. And… some other things. You'll find out soon."

"I've never seen you around Riverwood or Helgen. Are you new? A traveler? Why would they send you with news from Helgen? Why did it take you so long to get here?"

I actually laughed as Lydia opened the main gate doorway. "I was diverted by…" I reached into my personal scroll, pulling out the Dragonstone. "this. I had to go to Bleak Falls Burrow to retrieve this stone. It's important. It shows where the dragon burial mounds are. I need to report this to Jarl Balgruuf, and tell him about the dragon from Helgen. You'll hear the full story, don't worry."

I entered the main hall with Lydia behind me as we walked into the palace. The palace was filled with everyone from Whiterun, minus a few people. I'm not sure who most of the people missing are, but… zombie apocalypse… there are likely to be dead people out there in the town.

I took a deep breath as I saw Balgruuf, a Nord with one hell of a chiseled chin, sitting in his chair. Standing next to him was his Dark Elf Housecarl. As I entered the main hall, I felt the warm heat of the center pyre heating the dining hall. I saw food laying across the tables that filled the dining hall, and my stomach growled at me to grab something to eat. And even now, I could feel my exhaustion hitting me in my back. My feet were aching. I wanted nothing more than to lie down in a cot and sleep for a day or two.

The Dark Elf walked over to me, unsheathing her sword, keeping it aimed at me. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you?"

Seriously? The entire town is here, and you're asking me what I'm doing here? I shrugged. "I'm here to help. My name is Talia."

"Who let you in? The guards were given explicit orders to keep people out of our town until we cleared the zombie threat." The Dark Elf kept her sword pointed at me.

I rolled my eyes. "I jumped the walls. And then I helped you with your zombie problem. They're mostly dead, and my companions are finishing them off as we speak… hopefully." I looked from her over to Jarl Balgruuf. "We need to speak. I was in Helgen. I survived the dragon attack."

Jarl Balgruuf stood up. "You were there?"

I nodded. "Yes. I was being transported to a chopping block with a cart full of Stormcloaks to Helgen. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I was in Helgen when General Tullius was about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak. I was standing there, watching as Ralof was being put to the chopping block?"

"Ralof?" Lydia glanced at the ground. I forgot, she knows him.

I nodded. "Yes. He's fine. When he was up there, facing execution for being a Stormcloak, we heard a roar. Next thing we knew, there was a massive black dragon falling from the sky, landing on a tower overlooking the town. He made a Shout, summoning a large vortex filled with falling rocks that rained down on top of us. I managed to escape with Ralof and Hadvar, getting the two of them to work together. The three of us managed to escape, and then we went to Riverwood. I talked to the people there, and they are requesting some reinforcements for their town, in case a dragon attacks."

Jarl Balgruuf exhaled, reaching for the bridge of his nose. "Reinforcements? We barely survived a zombie outbreak, and Riverwood wants _reinforcements_?"

The Dark Elf turned to look at him. "Sire, Riverwood is in immediate danger. We can manage to send out a few guards, maybe even a Companion. Perhaps someone from the town?" She looked over to Lydia. "Lydia."

I glanced at her. Wait? Did she suggest Lydia is a Companion? Or did she suggest Lydia is from Riverwood? I thought she was from Helgen.

Jarl Balgruuf continued to weigh the option. "We need all the help we can get."

"Well…" I waved my hands around. "I'm here. There's more to the story, but for now… I have this." I reached into my pocket, pulling out the Dragonstone. "I think your wizard wants this?"

The wizard, who was watching from the sidelines, marched up to me, his eyes sparkling with joy. "You? You recovered it? How? How did you know I needed this?" He reached for the Dragonstone, wrapping his arms around it as he yanked it from my hands.

I pointed to myself, saying, "I was asked by some woman wearing a hood obtain the object and deliver it to you. You have some research you need done to it, or something like that. Right?"

He nodded. "Yes… but the woman in the hood… she wants this. So… why have you bring it to me… if she's just going to show up and take it from me?"

"Oh, I'll be taking it back with me." I said, looking him in the eye. "I'm letting you study it for tonight. I want it back by the morning." I looked from him over to Jarl Balgruuf. "Look, I'm tired. I've been walking for a couple days now, and I just want to take a bath, lie in a bed, and get some sleep."

Jarl Balgruuf continued to look at me. "You are sure the zombies are dealt with?"

"Sire, I watched her kill 20 zombies on her own." Lydia reported. "And there were no others coming after her."

"I made sure the zombies can't escape from the Hall of the Dead. I collapsed the ceiling of beams onto the Hall of the Dead's doorway. They're trapped inside." I yawned. "I have friends outside, doing what they can to clean up the remainders of the zombies."

"They're dead." I heard Ky's voice purr beside me.

It made Lydia jump as she looked over her shoulder. Ky popped up from her Invisibility spell. "Jeez! Where did you come from?"

Ky shrugged. "Family secret." She looked past Lydia over to me. "I checked every building. I killed any remaining zombies that remained in the town."

I nodded. "Good job, Ky. You should get yourself checked by the healer. I found out they spread their virus through spores as well as everything else. You might have inhaled the infection."

She nodded. "I will do that right now."

I glanced from her over to Jarl Balgruuf. "So, there you have it. Your town should be clear for letting guard go collect up the dead bodies. I recommend casting them into the Star Forge."

Jarl Balgruuf crossed his arms. "You mean our Sky Forge?"

I found my slip, nodding my head. "Yup. Sky Forge." Sorry, wrong game. "Burn the bodies with the hottest forge in the world."

Jarl Balgruuf nodded. "That's a good suggestion." He looked over to the Dark Elf. "Round up some guards, take them out, round up the bodies, and make sure the town is secured and purged."

The Dark Elf nodded, running past me over to some guards that were sitting on a bench. "Come you four. We're going to clean up our town."

"About time." One of the guards replied. The five of them took off out the door.

"Good job." Jarl Balgruuf placed a hand on my shoulder. "You've done a great service, coming to help us during a time of quarantine. You've even helped my court wizard with his dragon project. Come, you must be hungry."

My stomach answered for me. "You have no idea." I looked over to Ky. "After you get healed, go get Hadvar, and get him checked out for healing too."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll be right back."

"Hey, Ky… thanks. You've been a great help."

She purred as she winked at me. "Anytime."

She took off towards the chapel healer, and I was being led to a table filled with food. "Now that our town has a minute to relax, I'd like to offer you some advice. We have a house for sale. The previous owner died with the outbreak. I would like to have someone like you living here. You… don't have a house anywhere else, do you?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I'm new to Skyrim. I don't have a house. I also don't have the funds at the moment. My everything was taken from me when I was captured by the Imperials. And with the dragon destroying everything… I never got my stuff back." Not a lie…

He patted me on the shoulder. "Well, tonight, you eat for free, and you rest for free. Once we have the inn available, your stay here will be on the house."

That was more than I was hoping for. "Thanks. I'll get some of that food now." I could see a lovely cooked boar staring me in the face. I want that boar inside me. I will have it inside me.

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Gods, I'm so full! And they've just cleared the town for going back to their houses! I get to go to sleep! Feck yeah!


	17. Dragon Souls Suck!

**Ceabhail** :

So, we're finally here, at this time, in this place... with what happens.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=

* * *

 _Record 5R13_

 _In regards to the incident reported in the previous record, the town of Whiterun was attacked by zombies. Zombies that our body-snatcher had mentioned existing in this world. There can be no doubt that this body-snatcher has the knowledge she proclaims she has, or what she has stated thus far can be alluded to some form of prophecy… or dumb luck. Either way, once we reached Whiterun, the body-snatcher devised a plan that would involve the safety of herself, and put the rest of us on standby. I never would have guessed she'd place her own self on risk, but… she did. She used the excuse that her being Argonian made it harder for her to contract the disease. She also had the magicka saber. So, she went into Whiterun and almost single-handedly saved the town._

 _I watched from the sidelines on the other side of the wall. I eventually climbed up with two other companions: Hadvar, an Imperial Soldier; and Ky'ren-thia, a Thalmor trained Assassin. The body-snatcher cleared the streets while the three of us scouted out the town from above, all but Ky'ren-thia, who was tasked with assassinations from rooftops. Reminds me of my days in Italy with Ezio, dressed as one of his assassin recruits. I wonder, if I reported my training as an assassin, would the body-snatcher utilize me in the way she utilized Ky'ren-thia's expertise? I just need a modified wrist dagger. It would be simple to pull off._

 _Anyway, we saved the town, yay! And for our troubles, the body-snatcher decided to NOT tell the Jarl of Whiterun about the incoming dragon, when I asked her later about it, she stated that she shouldn't try altering history in any way that could make things worse. Pulling guards from Whiterun too early, or diverting the guards from going to Riverwood could have made the dragon attack there, or some other kind of butterfly effect. I guess I understand. But, we're going to rest in Whiterun until we hear about the dragon attack, if even there is to be one. If by tomorrow evening nothing has occurred, we'll go back to the tower and see about gathering everyone up for another quest. Jeez… as much as I hate saying this, I'm looking forward to having a normal day tomorrow._

 _Recorder Ellen, out._

 _…_

"Hey… hey… wake up!"

I felt a heavy push on my shoulder. My eyes were heavy, but I managed to hold them open long enough to look at the heavy Nord woman pushing on my shoulder. I guess Khajiits aren't the only ones that can see in the dark, much to my surprise. My eyes adjusted pretty quickly to the darkly lit room. And then I realized… there was a candle on the other side of the room already lit, and my adjustment was coming from that. The Nord in question was probably that steel-plated one that always asks you for a fist fight, only to become one of your earlier tank companions. She was leaning over my shoulder, pushing down on me.

"Are you awake?" She asked.

I nodded, yawning. "Yup, I'm awake."

"The Jarl has requested to see you. Urgently." The Nord replied.

"What time is it?" I asked as I started sitting up, pulling the sheets off my body.

"It is the time when the moon is highest."

"Midnight?"

She nodded. "Yes, midnight. Maybe one."

"Fantastic." I mumbled as I sat up, grabbing my socks and boots. So… there are socks in Skyrim. Bet you never knew that! I was surprised too. I never did get to go shopping, but the inn's bed was open for me. And so, when I got to the inn last night, I picked out a bed, fell on top of it, and then… was abruptly woken up… maybe 5 hours later? I think it's been that long already.

I rushed as I slipped my socks and boots on, unhappy over the fact that my scales make putting socks on uber impossible. I need to follow my own story's idea and made some kind of rubber sock that I can glide on. Once I can figure out how to make rubber in this world. I'm not sure they've figured it out yet. Hell… I don't even know how to make rubber. Feck! I don't know how to make rubber! _Damnu air_! I guess I'll have to think of something else. Silk? Is that a thing here? I guess I'll just find an Argonian. I'm sure they'll have something they do to deal with this.

After a minute of pure agony, I had both socks on enough that I could slip my boots on. I had some bunched-up bullshite going on near my toes, but… whatever. I'll deal with it later. Or… it will be my crippling weakness that will cause me to die later on in this chapter. Probably the latter, knowing how things go for me.

I groaned as I sat up, reaching for the rest of my mage stuff: my shoulder hood thing, my shoulder long sash, the belt that holds it all together, and my bag. I looked over to the Nord, nodding to her. "I'll get dressed as we go. Have my friends been woken up already?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't know you had friends."

I sighed. I tapped the person sleeping under my covers, a head poking out. Ky'ren-thia's head. "Morning, kitty. Time to go save the world… maybe."

She purred as she rolled out from her side of the double bed. "I will follow shortly."

"Can you wake everyone else up too? I'll be up at the Jarl's palace. I think the dragon's here."

She nodded. "Ky'ren-thia will do as you ask."

With that I made my way through the inn with the Nord woman beside me, all while putting the rest of my mage robes on. She walked proudly beside me as we marched on.

"So, why you?" I asked her as we walked on. "Why not Lydia, or… literally anyone else?"

"Lydia was sleeping in her house. I just woke her up. She's outside the inn." The Nord pushed the inn's door open, leading us outside. Lydia was indeed waiting for us, her eyes just as droopy as mine.

Lydia nodded a welcome to me. "Have you heard? A guard has reported back from the watchtower. It's been attacked. We're being summoned to the keep."

"Unnecessary." The Dark Elf housecarl said as she jogged through the marketplace, making her way to us. "The Jarl has requested your aid. The three of you, your parties included, are the best warriors we have at our disposal." She turned to look at me. "You survived Helgen, you know this dragon and how it will attack." She looked at Lydia. "The Companions are getting ready. You should join them."

"The Companions are joining us?" That didn't happen in the game. It should have. Hell… dragons should have been a bigger threat than they were presented as. I wonder just how deadly this dragon will really be.

"A small dispatch of guards will be heading out. Farengar will remain here to defend the keep from any surprise dragon attacks, but I will be leading the assault with the guards. The Companions are experts at hunting beasts, maybe not dragons, but they are expert warriors. They are being paid for their services. You will be compensated for your efforts as well." The Dark Elf looked at me. "The Jarl had this prepared for you." She pressed a iron chest piece into my arms. "Please get armored up. We need you."

Wow… my first armor piece. It was a basic iron plate: front and back. Man… I feel like a Mandalorian. I'm getting my armor!

"Kandosii!" I screamed as I undid the leather strap, throwing it over my mage robes. Hmm… the shoulder pauldron and the long sash seem to be interfering with my flexibility. I tore my belt off, letting the sash and the shoulder leather pauldron thing fall off. I strapped the armor on, just in time for Ky'ren-thia and Recorder to come out of the inn.

Ky took a quick look at my armor, and hissed a small laugh. "You look too inexperienced. It's on backwards."

Huh… it's hard to tell when these armor plates don't have actual breasts formed into the plates. I kind of appreciate the realism of this armor plate. It's not a full outfit! Gee, which Elder Scrolls game did I love where you could mix/match armor? Chest, shoulders, arms, legs… all of it. I hope this iron plate works.

"Is this all of it?" I asked as I strapped my iron plates on correctly, spinning them around so that the front plate is in fact… on my front.

The Dark Elf shrugged. "I'm sorry, but you are… you have a different body shape than…"

I nodded. "I get it. I have a large beak and a large tail. No helm for me then." At least not for a while. I should make friends with the Orcs. They'll make a full armor for me, out of orichalcum too. That will be nice to have.

I looked over to Ky. "How do you deal with having a tail?"

She showed me her butt, pointing to the triangle hole that was cut into it. "We cut holes in our pants… and then use triangle shaped plates strapped to a belt to rest above the spot. If worn correctly, it won't rub against the tail at all. Too many of my clanmates have lost their tails to improper fauld artisans."

Huh… fauld. That's a word.

"Yeah… faulds suck." I nodded to Ky, making sure she believed I knew a single word she was saying. "Just… the whole idea of a fauld. Just… just the worst."

"So… dragons." Lydia glanced at me. "I saw Helgen… I saw the destruction. Tell me… do we stand a chance?"

Everyone glanced at me, and as they did so, Recorder and Hadvar exited the inn. "Good morning, everyone." Recorder said, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

I glanced back at her. "Time to kill a dragon." I looked over at Hadvar. "Think it's already too late?" I glanced back at Lydia and the Dunmer lady. "I kind of… already knew this was going to happen, so I had reinforcements staking out the nearby mountain. They may have already killed it while the guard ran back to us."

Lydia's face deadpanned as she glared at me. "You knew? How?"

I shrugged. "A gift."

"She's a seeress." Hadvar said. "She helped me escape Helgen in one piece. I trust her word. It would seem, her word is good once again."

"Yeah… but… a dragon." I shuddered. I was excited… terrified… everything in between. The chance to see a dragon, a real dragon… here, right in front of me. I mean… I was too busy to appreciate Alduin… but… this time… I hope I have the time to get some glances in. I wish I had a camera with me. On the other hand… fire hurts. And so do teeth as big as me.

"You didn't answer my question though. Do we stand a chance?" Lydia grabbed onto my arm tightly.

I shook my head. "I really… I really don't know. I think we do. Companions, my friends, Thrawn…"

"THRAWN?" Lydia's face blushed over. "He's… he's here? In the flesh?" She glanced around. "Is he here, right now?"

I shook my head. "No, he's back at the watchtower. He's my reinforcements."

"He's… with you? Or… you're with him?" She glanced from me over to Hadvar.

Hadvar shrugged. "Trust me… this is weird, but… Thrawn has a partnership with her. She's… special."

Lydia rubbed her eyes. "Right… wow." She nodded. "We've wasted enough time. We need to get to that watchtower." She turned on her heel and started marching off at a jogging pace.

Before chasing after her, I looked over to Recorder. "Hey, Record." I pointed to the well in the town center. I spotted one of her missing records, pointing my finger right at it. "There's one of your missing records."

She followed my finger, almost blushing as she spotted the record just… sitting on the well's edge. "Wow… how did I miss that?"

"Kind of a quest thing." I shrugged. I quickly turned around and sprinted after Lydia and Dunmer Housecarl. Recorder reached down, retrieving her missing record while Ky and Hadvar jogged after me.

The night air was harsher than I would have liked. Cold, biting, and there was no outside source of warmth to make up for the coldness of this land. No sun to warm my scales, as it were. The moons were out, and boy… they were HUGE. I mean, in the game, they look impressive, but in real life, they look… impossibly big. How big was this world to justify the moons' orbits around this planet? Do they revolve around each other as well? Does one moon circle the other moon while it circles around this planet? And how fast is those moons moving to justify a full day's rotation? Or is it more the fact that the planet is rotating? Is it a factor of both things moving at the same time? I'm not an astronomer, so… I really didn't have the required knowledge to sit down and figure it out.

But on we jogged through the town. The town was dead quiet, the soft chirping of… whatever insects that decide to exist in this cold land were the only noise other than the pounding of our feet on the dirt road.

As we came up to the town gate, the gate guard pushed the massive door open, nodding a farewell to us. "Best of luck to you all. I hope you get there in time." He nodded to us as we exited the town.

"We're about to fight a dragon." Lydia muttered to herself. "Surely this… if I survive…" She glanced down, almost smiling at some thought she had spinning in her mind.

I stayed silent as we jogged on, keeping my breathing even as we continued on. I had to stay focused. My legs were threatening to turn to jelly, not because I'm out of shape, but because I was absolutely terrified of what we may encounter. This was no video game. This was… more or less… real life. I served in the armed forces, I had faced scary situations before… but never a tank. Never a dragon. This was something… something I never knew would happen. I mean… Alduin was a thing, a timed event, and so is this, I guess. But… Alduin literally couldn't have killed me. Not unless I stood in front of him and waved my arms like a suicidal idiot. This dragon… this creature wants me dead. Well, not me specifically but… he wants everyone dead. And with the mod that gives dragons 4 times everything: health, strength, magicka resistance…. I think you know where this is going, right? That dragon… will not be a pushover. He can't be.

"We're coming up on the watchtower." The Dunmer screamed from ahead of us. "I can see fire. The watchtower seems to be destroyed."

As I rounded the hill, I looked down at the watchtower. It looked like how it did in the game. Destroyed, on fire. I saw no sign of my reinforcements surrounding the watchtower, no signs of a dead dragon. I guess we're keeping on script for this then.

The Dunmer turned to look at me. "So, where are these reinforcements of yours?"

I shrugged. I held my hands together, forming a firebolt in my palms. I launched it into the night sky. Hopefully, that would signal to my people that I was here, and ready. "That should let them know I'm here now." I said to the Dunmer. "Their defenses might not have been properly set up. I was expecting another day before it arrived."

She crossed her arms. "We shall see, Argonian. Anyway, we should scout out the area. See if anyone survived."

I looked around the hill. More guards that followed behind us, or were already here, started moving out. I counted nearly 15 guards, more than I had expected to be here. And to my left, I could see people dressed in Companion armor already making their way to the watchtower. I felt safer already knowing that the Companions were here. This should be quick. Hopefully.

I forced myself to exhale as I looked back at my collection of friends. I looked at Hadvar, then to Ky, and then to Recorder. "Okay, guys. I guess… this is it. Just… stay safe. Don't do something stupid. Okay?"

Ky snickered, laughing as she unsheathed her daggers. "Ky'ren-thia will be like an Orc fart in the wind. Silent… and very deadly."

Recorder shrugged. "Okay. I'll try to stay out of the way."

"We'll be fine." Hadvar said with a nod. "You have to trust that we're here for a reason. And besides… you already killed me off once, what are the odds you'd do it again?" He almost chuckled at the joke, but it left a horrible taste in my mouth. Like… yeah… that would be something I would do if I was writing this as a story or something. Half-assed love interest being killed off in first actual battle. That's something I'd totally do if I wanted to set an actual tone for the story.

But, the horrible realization of what could happen put aside, that joke forced a smile on my face. "Well… if the plot demands it…" I tried my best to smile, and that alone allowed my shoulders to sag, my breathing to calm down. Good on you, Hadvar. You calmed me down.

I glanced over to Lydia, who was already joining the Companions. Vilkas wrapped her up in a tight hug, which threw me for a loop. I guess she _was_ in the Companions after all. This was… different. All of this.

I turned around, facing the watchtower. Time to end this. Or… begin it. One way… or another. I wonder what it will feel like… absorbing a dragon soul. Or… am I not even the Dragonborn? Maybe I'm just… me… in Argonian skin.

I started my approach to the watchtower, my feet feeling heavier and heavier as I got closer to the staircase leading up to the doorway of the watchtower. Half of the watchtower was already destroyed, pieces of the tower missing and tossed around the ground. The wall of the small defense tower was smashed. The grass in the training yard was burned down. And as I got closer to the training yard, I could see dead guards everywhere. Just a few though. Not a single sign of Thrawn or his men. Or my Blade friends. That's good. I hope they were okay.

"NO, stay back! It might still be here somewhere!" A surviving guard screamed as he poked his head out of the watchtower's doorway. "It just grabbed… oh, Irileth. I didn't know you'd be coming." Irileth! That's her name!

Irileth, the Dunmer Housecarl, marched up the staircase. "That's right, we're here. Tell me, where is the dragon? Did you see where it went?"

"No, Housecarl. I was too busy shitting my pants." He declared. "But I did see it flee up the mountain… and then it breathed fire on the mountainside before taking off. I have no idea why." He walked out of the watchtower, pointing his fingers to the burning patch of woods on the mountains… right where I told my reinforcements to wait for the dragon to attack.

It did _what_? My scales were running colder as I took off in a sprint for the mountainside. I had to see if everyone was okay. That dragon may have killed my friends! I talked them into waiting there. This was my fault.

"Oh wait… there it is again!" The guard screamed.

I looked up in to the sky, seeing the dragon crest the top of the mountain, its wings folded to its side as it came diving down like a hawk diving to snatch a rabbit. And it was flying right for me. I was just outside the outer wall when I realized… I'm in a very bad location.

" _Shite_!" I screamed, looking around for anything I could use. I found an iron shield on the ground, and I sprinted for it. I scooped it into my hands, throwing it in front of me as the dragon flew overtop of me, spraying the area around me with fire. I held my breath as I felt burning hot air blast around me. The shield in my hands protected me from being melted immediately, and my scales felt oddly warmer with the presence of fire around me.

I sighed as I stood up. I didn't feel… as cooked as I thought I would feel with fire all around me. It felt… reminiscent, somehow. Like… my Flames spell. Wait… Shouts are magic. So… it's fire magicka. That made me feel… slightly better. Now I can focus on actually killing the dragon.

"It's coming right towards us!" A guard screamed. I couldn't see what was happening, since I was on the other side of the outer perimeter wall, but I did hear a guard scream in pain. I turned around to jump the wall, pushing FP into my feet, activating my Force Enhancement spell. I unclipped the lightsaber from my belt, and pushed off my feet, flying up onto the wall's walkway. I had to duck as a guard was picked off the ground by the dragon's wing, bitch-slapped away from it. Guards and Companions had the dragon surrounded, each one screaming as they charged the dragon.

I was astonished by the sheer size of the monster. It wasn't as big as Alduin but… damn. I almost found myself sitting on the wall, and watching the thing. It was bigger than I imagined it would be, its head bigger than any person. And as the dragon snaked his head down, biting down on top of a guard, chomping down on the guard, killing him, and then violently shook him around while everyone tried what they could to hurt the dragon, I couldn't help but stare at the bright blue scales, the sharper brown underscales. The dragon was very pretty. And if I had a thing for people in general, I'd say this dragon was drop-dead gorgeous. I never had feelings for any living person, but… damn. I can see why now Iron Bull would give himself sexual pleasure later after laying eyes on a dragon.

"Anytime you're ready!" I heard a Companion scream. I looked over at him; it was Vilkas. He had a smaller woman in his arms. A… really smaller woman. A child?

"Throw me!" She said.

Vilkas screamed as he tossed the child, and that's when I recognized her. She was the blacksmith girl Merura, or something like that. And Vilkas screamed as he yeeted the girl into the air. I watched as she soared through the air, dressed in her blacksmith apron. And then she crashed on top of the dragon's head, slamming her pickaxe down on top of him. And… nothing happened. The dragon came to a halt mid-chomp of the dead guard in his mouth, and he glanced up at the girl with one of his eyes. The other guards nearby continued to slash at the dragon with their weapons, doing little to no harm.

"What is with these scales?" One guard screamed. "They're… tougher than steel! I can't cut through them!"

Oh… that's right. Dragonscale armor is… definitely better than most steel armors… even better than Daedric. It only makes sense that FUCKING IRON WEAPONS CAN'T DAMAGE THE FUCKING DRAGON.

I guess it's up to me then. I activated the cyan blade, feeding magicka into the saber to make it snap to life. I quickly drew the dragon's attention, as he glanced over to me. He lowered his head, snaking Merura off his head, and spitting out the dead guard. He basically ignored the guards as they slapped him with their weapons. And I stood in my spot as the dragon started slamming his winged arms into the ground as he crawled over to me. My feet trembled as he walked over, his eyes glued to me.

 _"Zu'u Mirmulnir."_ The dragon was basically standing over my head now, and everyone just stood there, watching as he glared down at me. _"Dovahkiin."_ He purred, slapped my face with his hot smelly breath. He smelled like brimstone. Huh… guess that's… probably how he should smell. _"Krif krin, bahlaan hokoron."_

I continued to stand there, looking the dragon in the eye. "Can we just…" I couldn't say not fight. I had to do this… in order for this game to go the way it's supposed to. I can't just… not kill him. I don't want to kill him though. "not fight?"

The dragon looked bewildered, then threw his head back, roaring a laugh, spitting fire up into the air. He glanced back down at me, Shouting Fire Breath at me. I brought both my shield and my cyan beamsaber up, and the beamsword created a ward around me, diverting the magic Fire Breath away from me, and I was so glad that it worked. I had hoped this weapon would save me… and it has. I'm keeping this thing now. It's mine.

I screamed as I pushed off my feet, still feeding FP into my feet for the Force Enhancement spell. I flew right into the neck of the dragon, swinging my beamsword right into his throat. Or… I tried. I was thrown off too quickly to get my sword into him. And I was tossed off like a seasoned warrior shrugging off a child's lame slap with a pool noodle. I hit the ground pretty quickly, and pretty hard. And as I crashed into the ground, I felt a heavy set of scales press down on top of me.

"Tell me, _Dovahkiin_." The dragon glared down at me. "If you die… will the first born send another?" He opened his mouth, preparing his spell.

I almost forgot I was still holding onto the beamsword, but now was the time to use it. I screamed as I slashed at the dragon's hand, which was almost as big as me, and pretty much crushed my legs. They're broken… I think. I can't move them, I know that much. And I'm in a lot of pain down there. The beamsword pressed up against the scales, but didn't slice through them. That didn't stop the dragon from reacting, screaming in surprise and agony as he ripped his claw off me, backing away.

"That weapon… you…" His eyes narrowed.

I struggled to stand up, and even if I was able, I could only because I felt the warmness of Histskin beginning to activate. I had to use this up while it was still working.

I screamed as I pushed more Force Energy into my body. I bent my one useable leg underneath me, and pushed off the ground. I flew up to the dragon, thrusting my sword right to him. And I was welcomed to a bitch-slap with his winged arm. Upon impact, I lost my vision. I did find, however, the cold hard ground. And somewhere in the process, I lost my beamsword. Feck.

"You were an interesting development." The dragon's voice roared far away from me. "You humans haven't changed. You're weaker than ever." I felt a cold breeze overtake me, and I realized the dragon was flapping his wings. Guards were falling down all around me.

"Everyone, fire your arrows! Bring that winged beast down!" Irileth screamed, firing lightning out of her fingertips.

I managed to roll myself over, watching as the guards fired their bows and crossbows. The dragon that was just about to take off, was soon pelted with arrows and bolts. All of which that did… nothing. Hit him and ricocheted off. Seriously… what is wrong with this? Nothing we do can harm this thing!

The dragon laughed deep in his belly. "Nice try, but… take this." He breathed fire down on top of us. I managed to crawl away as he bathed the battlefield in his Fire Breath Shout. I watched and heard as guards screamed in agony, their bodies burning away. They were being cooked in their chainmail. My Histskin was still repairing my body, and I managed to push myself up onto my feet. I looked around for my beamsword, and I found it nearby resting underneath a rock. That beamsword was the only way we were going to win.

"Talia!" Hadvar screamed. He was standing on the other side of the battlefield, dragging a burned guard out of the killing field. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" I screamed back. Smoke from the fire was beginning to overwhelm me, getting into my lungs and burning my eyes. "I think we should retreat!"

"Not until we kill the beast." Ky said from somewhere.

"Is this really all you have to offer?" I heard a familiar voice. It was Delphine's.

And that's when I saw it. A massive wad of red lightning crashing into the dragon, hard enough that it was tossed from the air onto the ground. The dragon screamed in agony as his wings folded in response to the surprise lightning barrage, and he crumbled to the middle of the training yard, spasming in pain, trying his best to roar.

And then I saw her, Delphine, standing on top of the watchtower, a glowing Akaviri katana in her hand. She spread her arms out, aiming the katana in a stance that reminded me of Saito's gatotsu from Rurouni Kenshin, which if you haven't watched it, or read it, is basically a thrusting move that it used with the intention to kill upon impact. And Delphine was holding that posture while standing on top of the wrecked watchtower.

And then… she jumped off the watchtower.

And I watched as she fell through the air, holding her posture erect as she fell on top of the dragon's back. I heard the monster scream, belching whatever fire he could summon as he tried to flap himself up into the air.

"Come on, Dragonborn!" Delphine screamed from somewhere on the dragon's back. "Finish him!"

I nodded, grabbing the beamsword, and activating the cyan blade. I pushed with all I had, my one leg still healing, causing me to limp with one bad leg. I tried my best to rush over to him, holding my cyan blade in front of me. It was a good thing I did too. The dragon was arching his head down at me, breathing fire down upon me. I held my lightsaber up, screaming, "I am all the Jedi!" And I took that fire breath attack, my blade repelling the Fire Breath as I slowly approached him. I could still feel the heat of his breath, but it was a welcome compared to the cold air slowing me down.

The ground underneath me was turning hot as I continued marching on, and it quickly felt like I was walking on heated coals. I mean… I basically was walking on heated coals. That didn't stop me though. I continued marching on, slowly advancing on him. And as I got close, the dragon snapped his head down at me. He was going to bite me!

I reacted, doing an overhead men strike on him. I caught him in his lips, if you can call them that. I slid my beamsaber right through his mouth, slicing it open. The dragon roared in pain as he threw his face away. More out of desperation than anything, the dragon started trying to flap his wings, but Delphine was busy cutting them apart, making his arms basically useless. Finally. His chest was exposed.

I screamed as I jumped at him, thrusting my beamsword right through his chest. I hope I hit something vital, and with how the dragon reacted, I think I at least hit something fatal. The dragon screamed in pain, falling over backwards. And I took the opportunity to jump on top of him, stabbing with my crystal beamsword. I felt blood splash me in the face, but I didn't stop. Not until this creature stops moving! And he was thrashing underneath me, trying his best to throw me off. But with his wings broken, his chest bleeding, there was little he could do to escape.

I finally found myself limping my way over to his neck. And I sighed a small bit of relief as I took my saber and thrust it through his throat. And then I started to carve his neck off. It was hard. His scales are still almost just as strong as my saber, but with enough patience, I was able to cut his throat open. He screamed in protest, Fire Breath seeping through the hole in his throat, threatening to overtake me, if my saber wasn't designed to prevent magicka from touching me.

And so… in a matter of minutes, I had the dragon dead. His body thrashed a little bit, but… he was dead. I could tell because his body was beginning to turn to ash. Rainbow ash.

I stood there, completely awestruck, as the dragon's body began to burn away. Whatever remained of the guards and Companions watched from a distance as the dragon's body burned away. Delphine stood beside me, watching expectantly as the dragon slowly began to reduce itself to bone. The rainbow ash very quickly started flowing towards me, as if a vortex was blowing the rainbow smoke inside me. And I spread my arms out, welcoming the Dragon soul inside me. I felt something… empowering enter me, as if I had somehow… become more whole. It felt warm, inviting. I had memories flashing in my mind. Memories of flying, eating cows… defeating whole armies of Nords and elves. The measure of honor I afforded these small… creatures, for the sake of a hunter eating his next meal. And after all that, all those memories flooding my brain, I felt a connection to a dragonic word: _Fus_. I don't know why but… this dragon really liked that word: _Fus_. And I knew how to blast it out of my mouth, to bring existence to a word.

And just like that… I had a guard approaching me. "I can't believe it… You're… Dragonborn."

Everyone stood around me, silent. I let the moment sink in. I couldn't believe it, but… I'd been silently fearing that… I wasn't actually Dragonborn. That everything I was doing up to this point was… all for nothing. But it's not for nothing, is it? I'm here, the dragon's not… and I have his soul inside me. So… yeah. I'm the Dragonborn.

I looked over at Delphine, waiting for her reaction. She crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow at me. "Well, I guess we have some training to do, don't we?" She offered with a small knowing look, as if answering my question without me even having to ask it.

That brought a smile to my face. "First thing's first. We need to get Esbern. He's in Riften. I need to go there anyway." Old woman to murder, Inigo to find. All the good stuff.

"Wait." Lydia walked over to us, her face flushed, her eyes wide. "You… you're…" She was shaking her head. "I don't understand. You just absorbed that dragon? You're… the dragonborn of legend?"

I nodded. "Yes. Come on, Lydia. Keep up." I know you haven't been with us that long, but still.

"Oh, give the lady a break." The smooth voice of Thrawn spoke from the pillows of smoke. I could see his glowing red eyes as he carefully marched through the dense smoke up to us. "She has not the insight the rest of us possess. We all knew you were the Dragonborn before this dragon went up in smoke. The Knight-in-training did not." He glanced at Lydia, looking her up and down. "You must be Lydia of Helgen. I am truly sorry for your loss."

Lydia, standing there like an idiot, stared unblinking into Thrawn's eyes. She tried to make noises with her mouth, but all I heard was the sputtering of a teenage band geek from the freshman class asking out the head cheerleader of senior class. Yeah, I know… how stereotypical, and band geeks are cool, and all that. And yeah… most of my friends were in band. So, yeah, it's totally a false stereotype, but we all know what I'm talking about when I say it. She was a deer caught in the headlights, another phrase most people should, but some don't, understand. So, how to clarify this reasonably? She was entranced by his majesty, his grand posture, and she was drooling over the very sight of his manhood. Yeah, that sounds better. A little innuendo but… better.

"You're… Thrawn." Lydia managed to say without spitting out her tongue.

Thrawn nodded. "You are correct." He turned away from her, looking at me. "I am sorry we were unable to assist in a higher capacity, but the dragon hit us before we were ready. As was our agreement, I have provided you the means to begin your journey. You have awoken your Dragonborn status, and thus, I have begun my partnership with you. I do hope you continue to grow, dear Talia Cearbhail. I would love to see where your journey takes you. I have my own agenda to see to, so I fear that this is our goodbye for the moment. I will instruct my men to let you do as you please, unless they interfere with our grand plan. Do not make me regret our arrangement. Do I make myself clear?"

I nodded. "I understand, Thrawn. And don't worry. As long as you don't harass the people of Skyrim, and target only the violent bandits and hedge witches that attack the innocent, then… you can do whatever you like. And if I were to suggest a great target." His eyebrows shot up. "The Thalmor. Do whatever you like to them. Especially the ones in Cyrodiil."

Thrawn smirked. "I do enjoy the method of your madness." He saluted me as he turned away. "We shall meet again, Dragonborn."

"Don't forget to let that Jedi go! Tell him to meet me in Riften." I screamed to Thrawn.

He waved back at me. "I will pass along the message, Dragonborn."

I looked back over to Lydia and Delphine. "So… I'm getting pretty tired. Any chance we can… head back and get some sleep."

"Not before we head back to the palace and let the Jarl know what happened here." Irileth said as she walked over to us. She nodded her head at me, smiling as she said, "That was a fierce battle, and I'm glad you were with us. I'm not sure how this would have played out if you hadn't been here with that… glowing sword of yours."

I know exactly what would have happened. Everyone would have died. Unless Delphine and Thrawn killed the dragon. Those weapons, even Irileth's magick did nothing to the dragon. He shrugged off every attack.

I nodded. "Yeah. Listen, I'm sure you can go to the Jarl and chat to him. Me on the other hand. I can talk to him in the morning, and this seems like a first-thing-in-the-morning chat anyway. So… I'm going to go to bed. I have at least six more hours I need before I'm ready to get up." Not true, but… I really want a nap. And tomorrow, I'm going shopping.

The world started to shake underneath us, enough that several of us were falling off our feet, and for a second, I thought another dragon had showed up.

"DO…VAH…KIIN…" A monstrous echoing voice ripped through the sky. Clouds in the night sky parted as a bright aurora borealis morphed from nothing. This aurora was brightly colored blues, greens, purples, oranges, pinks. It was like looking at a night rainbow. And that's when I fell in love with this place. The beautiful lights dancing in the sky.

"Well… I guess the Graybeards know about you." Delphine muttered to herself.

I nodded. "Yup, but they're going to wait. Riften comes first." And sleep. Mostly sleep. And when we get on the carriage… I'll get even more sleep. I need it after the past few days.

I glanced back at Irileth. "So… I'm going back to the inn. You can go inform Jarl Balgruuf about what happened, and I will come to see him first thing in the morning, when I wake up. Is that cool with you?"

Irileth glared at me. "I'd prefer we go now, and then you go to sleep. It will be easier for all of us if you get it over with and then sleep in."

Huh… not a bad plan.

I shrugged. "Fine, let's get this over with."

* * *

 **Cearbhail** :

Yup, we're marching back to the palace, and i'm dead tired on my feet. I can't wait to have the long exposition rant where Balgruuf makes me listen to him talk for a couple hours without end. At least I won't have to repeat it with any armies and the talk of a man's axe.


End file.
